St John the Baptist in the Wilderness

This work shows the influence of the Italian Old Masters on Reynolds' work complete with the complex shading reminiscent of Caravaggio and references to Raphael's painting of the same subject from 1518-1520. Depicting John the Baptist as a child allowed Reynolds to create a fancy picture, something which he enjoyed doing and which, by this time in Reynolds' career, were developing a solid reputation. The choice of depicting John the Baptist was a subject which enabled him to pay homage to Old Master religious imagery, both in terms of subject matter and in composition and technique. However, with characteristic ingenuity, Reynolds transformed the composition from a purely devotional image to one which aligned closely with his secular fancy pictures of children.

Reynolds has depicted the biblical figure of John the Baptist as a young child in the wilderness. John the Bapist was one of Reynolds' favorites to depict. The wild gesturing of John heralds the coming of Christ, who is symbolically represented by the lamb beside him and his impending sacrificial death through the cross John holds.

This oil on canvas painting is in The Wallace Collection, London, UK.