The Preaching of John the Baptist

Breenbergh was a pioneer of Italianate landscape painting. His early works were  simple early Italian view and landscapes.  Breenbergh was most active in the 1630s and his work reveals a series of innovations that would mark the start of his mature period. He began to introduce mythological and biblical figures into his landscapes and to favour Old Testament scenes, clearly influenced by Pieter Lastman and other artists of the generation prior to Rembrandt. His later works are notable for their monumental compositions and expressive figures.

This well-preserved picture by Breenbergh dates from a few years after his return from Rome to Amsterdam. The subject of Saint John preaching in the wilderness was often employed by Dutch artists as an analogy to Protestant worship when the Netherlands was still ruled by Catholic Spain.

this oil on wood painting measure 21 1/2 x 29 5/8 in. (54.6 x 75.2 cm). It can be seenin The Met on Fifth in NYC.