SAN GIOVANNI BATTISTA (Caravaggio)

John the baptist was the subject of eight paintings by the italian artist Caravaggio. Today I want to describe the version dated 1598 preserved in Toledo, Spain. In this painting Caravaggio represents John sitting on a red mantle, who holds a cross with his hand while he's looking at the lamb near him. Around the protagonist there are some vines and thornes to symbolize the wine used in the Last Dinner and also Jesus's passion. The story of John is told in the Gospels, he was the cousin of Jesus, (he baptised him) and his calling was to prepare the way for the Messiah's coming. Before this mission John was an outcast and lived in the desert. So for this reason Caravaggio represents him alone in the desert.