A Thousand Words: John the Baptist

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This striking oil-on-wood painting of John the Baptist is commonly believed to be Leonardo da Vinci’s final work, dating to the second decade of the 16th century. It employs chiaroscuro, an artistic style that involves deep contrast between different elements of the painting—often, as in this case, between the background and the central figure—as well as Leonardo’s signature sfumato treatment that creates a hazy, softened look.

In this work, Leonardo departed from the traditional presentation of John the Baptist as a gaunt and aged ascetic, envisioning him instead as a robust, youthful figure with long curly hair who is smiling enigmatically and pointing toward the heavens. Barely visible around the figure’s lower body and draped over his left arm is a garment of fur or hair.

Interpreters of the work have remarked upon its mysterious quality, noting that the seeming proximity between figure and viewer generates a vague sense of unease. It is considered a remarkable meditation on the tension between flesh and spirit; some even suggest that it carries a subtle erotic undertone.

At some point in the decades following its completion, Leonardo’s painting made its way into the French royal collection. About a century later, in 1625, Louis XIII traded it to Charles I of England in exchange for a pair of other artworks. Charles’s collection was eventually sold, and the painting moved through various private collections before returning into the possession of Louis XIV in 1661. It has been a part of the Louvre’s collection since the French Revolution.