Baptism
of Jesus Christ (circa 1455)
National Gallery, London
Keeping on the tradition of the Italian
Quattrocento, when the scenes he paints are not located in architectural places, Piero
della Francesca uses other elements in order to structure his paintings. In this case, the
trees, the mountains, the roads...
"Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to
Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be
baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to
be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him"
(Matt. 3rd 13-15) |