NARRATOR:
If it weren’t for the angels tumbling from the sky, we might not realize at first that this charming scene of a newborn’s first bath is a religious painting. It’s by the 17th-century Spanish artist Murillo, whose naturalistic and engagingly human depictions of Biblical events made him one of the most popular artists of his day.
The holy child being so tenderly cared for by these smiling Spanish ladies is John the Baptist. Murillo takes an obvious delight in showing us the paraphernalia of babyhood lying next to the basket of swaddling clothes. The kneeling attendant on the left prepares to take away the basin and pitcher of water, while an older woman carefully pats the baby dry. The cleansing of a newborn was surely a joyous and familiar ritual in Murillo’s day. But here, it may also allude to John’s future role as the man who baptized Christ.
Like Christ’s, John’s birth was considered a miracle—his mother was aged and barren. We glimpse her, in the background, exhausted and resting after the birth. The man on the left is John’s father, Zechariah, who gestures toward his newborn son. Notice how Zechariah’s head initiates a chain of linked glances and gestures… They gracefully lead us down to the lower right corner—and one of the painting’s most charming touches—a soft puppy on a child’s chair.
Depictions of the infancy of Christ and his cousin were popular in seventeenth-century Spain. Given the large format of this painting, it was probably commissioned for a church or monastery.
The Birth of Saint John the Baptist
c. 1655
Bartolomé-Esteban Murillo (Spanish, 1617-1682)
On View
Murillo, a native of Seville, was a generation younger than Zurbarán and Velazquez. Immensely popular throughout Spain and Europe, he was often called the "Spanish Raphael" for his sweet, idealized Madonnas and the softness and delicacy of his modelling. The characters in this painting are portrayed naturalistically yet retain the ideal, innate grace and elegance that are consistent with Murillo's figures from the late 1640s on. His modeling is solid yet handled with a painterly touch. Although this work displays a strong chiaroscuro, the general effect is one of luminosity: the darks are not so opaque, the lights are strong and the colors are saturated.
Details
- Artist Name: Bartolomé-Esteban Murillo (Spanish, 1617-1682)
- Title: The Birth of Saint John the Baptist
- Date: c. 1655
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 57-3/4 x 74-1/8 in. (146.7 x 188.3 cm)
- Credit Line: The Norton Simon Foundation
- Accession Number: F.1973.38.P
- Copyright: © The Norton Simon Foundation
Object Information
Henry Gally Knight (1786-1846), probably bought in Spain ca. 1800, bequeathed to his wife Henrietta Knight, to;
Sir Henry Fitzherbert, 3rd bt. (1783-1858), and by descent to;
Sir William Fitzherbert, 4th bt. (1808-1896);
Sir Richard Fitzherbert, 5th bt. (1846-1906);
Sir Hugo Meynell Fitzherbert, 6th bt. (1872-1934);
Sir William Fitzherbert, 7th bt. (1874-1963);
Sir John Richard Frederick FitzHerbert, 8th bt. (1913-1976), sold May, 1966 to;
[Wildenstein and Co., Inc., New York], to;
The Norton Simon Foundation.
Sir Henry Fitzherbert, 3rd bt. (1783-1858), and by descent to;
Sir William Fitzherbert, 4th bt. (1808-1896);
Sir Richard Fitzherbert, 5th bt. (1846-1906);
Sir Hugo Meynell Fitzherbert, 6th bt. (1872-1934);
Sir William Fitzherbert, 7th bt. (1874-1963);
Sir John Richard Frederick FitzHerbert, 8th bt. (1913-1976), sold May, 1966 to;
[Wildenstein and Co., Inc., New York], to;
The Norton Simon Foundation.
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- Waterhouse, Ellis K., The Burlington Magazine,
- Íñiguez, Diego Angulo, Murillo, vol. I, p. 303; vol. II, no. 336; vol. III, pls. 166-167
- Young, Eric, The Connoisseur, No. 10, fig. 8 pp. 183-185
- A Catalogue of some of the pictures at Tissington Hall, the Seat of Sir William Fitzherbert, Baronet, 1859, no. 9 p. 7
- Morse, John D., Old Master Paintings in North America, 1979, p. 201
- Sullivan, Edward J. and Nancy A. Mallory, Painting in Spain 1650-1700 from North American Collections, 1982, fig. 50
- Masterpieces from the Norton Simon Museum, 1989, p. 45
- Kimbell Art Museum, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617-1682): Paintings from American Collections, 2002, fig. 13 p. 23
- Rosalie J. Slater, The Family and the Nation: Biblical Childhood, 2002, p. 71
- Valdivieso, Enrique, Murillo: Catalogo Razonado de Pinturas, 2010, Fig. 344 p. 507
- Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 1003 p. 361
- Various authors, edited by Mark Rogián, Spanish Art in America, 2016, p.192 ; p. 190 (ill.), p. 192 (ill.)
- Jesse Locker, "La suavidad de Artemisa": reflections on the reception of Artemisia Gentileschi in Spain, 2022, Image 10 pp. 68-84, p. 78 (ill.)
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