‘The Baptism of Christ’ is a renowned painting by Andrea del Verrocchio, the master of Leonardo da Vinci, done around 1472 in his Italian studio. This was a collaborative work and was completed by Verrocchio with the assistance of his apprentice, Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci refined and finished specific details of the painting, notably the angel. The painting was commissioned by the monks of the San Salvi Church near Florence as an altarpiece.
Verrocchio had done most of the painting using tempera on wood, depicting the baptism of Jesus Christ by St. John the Baptist, as described in the Gospels of Luke, Mark, and Matthew. The scene features four figures: Jesus, St. John the Baptist, and two angels on the left side of the painting. The artwork showcases God’s outstretched arms with golden rays, a dove with its wings spread wide, and the halos over Jesus and St. John.
Notably, Leonardo da Vinci painted the angel on the left side using oil, a novel medium at the time. This angel is widely regarded as a testament to Leonardo’s emerging skill and artistry.
Andrea del Verrocchio was a versatile artist, excelling in painting, metalwork, and sculpture. He ran a workshop where his apprentices, including Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, and Lorenzo de Credi, honed their skills and went on to become prominent artists of the Renaissance era.
Vasari, a Historian of Art, has the following report on this painting:
“Verrocchio had already done the main work. Leonardo painted an angel who was holding some garments; and despite his youth, he executed it in such a manner that his angel was far better than the figures painted by Verrocchio. This was the reason why Andrea would never touch colours again, he was so ashamed that a boy understood their use better than he did.”