Piero was the first artist to write a treatise on perspective – that is, creating an illusion of three-dimensional space on a flat surface. Here, he has painted objects in proportion, so that they appear as we see them in real life. This emphasises the depth of the landscape, but also the harmony of the figures and natural features within it.
Christ stands in a shallow, winding stream as John the Baptist pours a small bowl of water over his head. Three angels in colourful robes witness the event. At this very moment the voice of God was heard – ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased’ (Matthew 3: 16) – and the Holy Ghost, shown here as a dove flying over Christ’s head and towards us, descended upon him.
This painting was made for the church of San Giovanni Battista in Val d’Afra in Piero’s hometown, Borgo Sansepolcro.
This is a description of 'The Baptism of Christ' by Piero Della Francesca, thought to be painted in the late 1430s. It is just over a metre wide by a metre and a half tall, with a curved top, painted on poplar wood. The rectangular gilded frame features carved pillars, plants and natural imagery. Two embellished triangular pieces sit at the top, to house the curve of the painting.
Figures in the foreground stand barefoot on an exposed area of shallow riverbed, a warm Italian landscape behind them, and a cool, pale blue sky with a few thin, horizontal clouds above. It has a colour palette of pale tones, warm olive greens, and vibrant accents, with a gentle sense of stillness and calm.
Jesus stands upright in the centre of the group. He has white, luminous skin, and wears a loin cloth of the same tone. His hands are held in prayer, perfectly aligned with the centre of the painting. His long curling hair, beard, and eyes are golden brown, his gaze focused slightly downwards.
To the right is John the Baptist, holding a terracotta bowl above Jesus’ head, spilling a thin line of water onto his hair, signifying a washing away of sins. A bright white dove with wings outstretched, hovers directly above, a symbol of the holy spirit.
John the Baptist is clothed in a knee-length orange-brown tunic, slightly torn at the edges – suggesting his time living in the desert. He has one foot in the water and one on the pale grey bank.
To the left is a tall walnut tree that rises up, cut-off by the curved top of the painting. Three angels watch from a grassy bank on the far left, draped in robes of vibrant ultramarine, crimsons, whites, and faded pinks. One on the furthest left is partly turned, exposing wings of green, pink and blue. She has a thin ribbon around her head hung with small jewels at her forehead. The angel next to her wears a wreath of pink and white flowers, and to the right again, the angel has a garland of laurel. Their faces are solemn, perhaps a little perturbed.
Behind John the Baptist, on the right, smaller figures edge the river that winds into the distance. A man is pulling his clothes off, perhaps getting ready to be baptised next.
Four indistinct figures, further in the distance, wear vibrant clothes of blues, reds and yellows, their jewel-like colours reflected in the water.
The river winds into the background into the green Tuscan landscape, dotted with olive-green trees, hills, and a small town with white walls and turreted buildings.
This piece was made as a central altarpiece for the chapel of Saint John the Baptist in the Camaldolese Abbey - just on the edge of the small town of San Sepolcro in Tuscany - which was the artist’s hometown. The small plants painted on the river’s edge are distinctive to this place. Piero is placing the baptism in his hometown, not in the River Jordan as written in the bible.
He has used egg tempera which has a translucency, the layered application of the brush strokes evident in much of the landscape, including the plants, the horizontal stone-coloured strokes of the river bed, and dark green leaves of the walnut tree. On close inspection of the figure of Jesus there is evidence that the pale luminosity of his skin has been created with an under-layer of green.
Piero was the first artist to write a treatise on perspective – on creating an illusion of three-dimensional space on a flat surface. This was a relatively novel theory during the 1400s, and here he is engaging with devices such as the vanishing point in the distance hills, which we are guided to by the receding river.
Piero della Francesca is also known for his use of colour. The pale blue sky is reflected in the river, and the tone of Jesus’ skin echoes through the landscape. Accents of the surrounding figures’ clothing bring warmth and vibrancy to this serene yet profound moment.
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Martin Davies, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Earlier Italian Schools’, London 1986; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
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