About this artwork
A precocious talent, Jean-Baptiste Deshays married the daughter of Rococo artist François Boucher and became his protégé. Although best known as a painter of religious subjects, Deshays often employed the soft, highly fluid manner that Boucher used for his amorous “boudoir” pictures. In fact, this work was for a long time believed to be by Boucher. The subject of the painting derives from the Gospel of Matthew: seated before the multitude and with arms dramatically outstretched, John the Baptist warns, “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
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Status
- On View, Gallery 216
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Department
- Painting and Sculpture of Europe
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Artist
- Jean Baptiste Henri Deshays
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Title
- Saint John the Baptist Preaching in the Desert
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Place
- France (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- 1758–1764
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Medium
- Oil on canvas
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Dimensions
- 42.2 × 26.5 cm (16 5/8 × 10 7/16 in.); Framed: 59.4 × 44.3 × 7.4 cm (23 3/8 × 17 7/16 × 2 7/8 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Mrs. Eugene A. Davidson
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Reference Number
- 1979.540
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/105704/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
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