About this artwork
Adam Elsheimer’s small paintings on copper show his remarkable ability to create imaginary, highly composed landscapes. On his arrival in Rome in 1600, Elsheimer was inspired by the city’s antique monuments and its extraordinary artistic environment. In this work, the wooded landscape teeming with wildlife is indebted to painting from Northern Europe, while the youthful saint echoes ancient Greek and Roman sculpture in a pose that reveals both his active mind and his physical strength. Though Elsheimer died in Rome at a relatively young age, his painting profoundly influenced his fellow artists, including Peter Paul Rubens.
-
Status
- On View, Gallery 208
-
Department
- Painting and Sculpture of Europe
-
Artist
- Adam Elsheimer
-
Title
- Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness
-
Place
- Germany (Artist's nationality:)
-
Date
- 1600–1610
-
Medium
- Oil on copper
-
Dimensions
- 21 × 16.3 cm (8 1/4 × 6 3/8 in.); Framed: 33 × 26.7 × 2.5 cm (13 × 10 1/2 × 1 in.)
-
Credit Line
- Lacy Armour Fund, Chester D. Tripp Estate Fund, European Painting General Sales Proceeds, Mrs. Albert Beveridge Fund, Rhoades Foundation
-
Reference Number
- 2012.490
-
IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/213758/manifest.json