Saint John the Baptist (El Greco) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saint John the Baptist |
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| Artist | El Greco |
| Year | 1597–1607 |
| Medium | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 111 cm × 66 cm (44 in × 26 in) |
| Location | Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco |
Saint John the Baptist is a famous painting by the Greek artist El Greco. He painted it between 1597 and 1607 while living in Spain. This artwork is made with oil paints on a canvas. Today, you can see it at the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco. This museum is part of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
What the Painting Shows
This painting shows a young Saint John. He is wearing clothes made from animal skins. He holds a long staff with a cross at the top. Next to him, a lamb is sleeping peacefully on a rock. This lamb stands for the "Lamb of God," which is another name for Jesus Christ. Saint John was known for telling people that Jesus was coming.
El Greco signed his name on a rock to the left of Saint John. He used a special Greek writing style. Look closely above Saint John's head. The clouds there look a bit like a halo. A halo is a circle of light shown around the head of holy people. Far away in the background, you can see the El Escorial monastery.
Journey of the Painting
This painting has traveled a lot! It was first kept at a place called Convento de San José in Malagón, Spain. Over time, it was owned by several different people. In 1946, it became part of the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum collection. This museum is also in San Francisco. Later, in 1972, the painting moved to the Legion of Honor Museum.
Another Version of the Painting
El Greco painted more than one version of Saint John the Baptist. There is another painting that looks very similar. You can see it in the Museu de Belles Arts de València in Valencia, Spain. This other version is a bit different. Some of the rocks nearby and the distant background are not in the Valencia painting.
See also
In Spanish: San Juan Bautista (El Greco, Malagón) para niños
- List of works by El Greco
