Art History Hotties: The Baptism of Christ

Art History Hotties
The Baptism of Christ, The Limbourg Brothers

By LIBBY ROHR

Jesus is a professional model.  He speaks in that Zoolander voice. He knows how to pose. He's the kind of hot that doesn't even have to look in the mirror. He doesn't have to comb his hair, but he did spend six hours the other day styling his beard. The two pointed look is really en vogue right now. He's bringing sexy all the way back to 15th century. No wonder Christianity caught on. Look at those abs. That muscle definition. The soft alabaster skin. The flowing hair. The sloping calves. The tiny white mini-skirt. What more could you want from the Lamb of God? If God created this Jesus in his image, then God must be smoking. Even the angels agree. They're blushing so hard their wings are turning color. That never happens. Even John the Baptist can't help but to stare. I mean look at those collarbones! It makes me consider the literal interpretation of a "divine glow." Holy men congregate in hordes behind him. They're not staring at his butt in that insanely short wrap. Of course not. They're definitely just here for the spiritual stuff. Definitely. This Jesus is making idolatry pretty tempting. Forget your "french girls," Leo, paint me like 15th century Jesus.

Well done, Limbourg brothers. From the trio that brought us a slew of over-the-top rich people festivals and a line of farmers using the chamber pot,  Paul, Jean, and Herman Limbourg now grace us with the presence of sexy Jesus, one of the most appealing forms of Jesus out there. Hey, if you can't get them interested in scripture, maybe you can entice some converts with this masterpiece. Unfortunately for the masses, these French masters were experts at illumination and in particular creating illustrations for customized books for the upper class. 

Often time religious works of this era were created to educate, stir emotion, and add a visual accompaniment to help better understand these stories as the life of the son of God. As a result, many frescoes in the early Renaissance featured nondescript, "ordinary" faces that reflect the type of people that would be seeing their works in an effort to connect the audience to the stories. The figure of Jesus, obviously, offered the least room for interpretation. He is always pictured with relatively dark hair that curls at the bottom and a full beard in an effort to ensure the accuracy of the image. Yet, looking at works like this one it would be hard to believe it wasn't at least slightly tailored to the audience. For one thing, these figures are all European, not Middle Eastern like Jesus would have been. The the incredibly white skin and the auburn hair for one suggest that the Jesus in this image is french like its onlookers. Furthermore the landscape of this work, from the sloping mountains, deciduous trees, and the Gothic castle behind them, is decidedly French. Between these connecting factors, the accuracy of the image presented, the vibrancy and the skill of the painting itself, and Jesus's glorious form, this illumination goes above and beyond its requirements and showcases the (smokin') work of true masters.
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The Baptism of Christ

1453
Piero Della Francesca, The Baptism of Christ, 1453

In The Baptism of Christ, Piero Della Francesca once again shows his amazing talent for perspective. In this painting, the river Jordan flows towards the viewer, while John pours the water over Jesus's head. This painting is a perfect example of Piero's more traditionalist paintings, and yet he manages to perfectly blend classical Italian monumental-ism with progressive mathematical designs. He seems to pay special attention to the water at the feet of John and Jesus. The water swirls around their feet, reflecting the sky above and the mud below in a clever manipulation of light. He makes use of a vanishing point just under Jesus's knees, demonstrating his mathematical knowledge.

Francesca was meant to be a merchant, and so he began learning math when he was 10. However, he had a clear talent for the visual arts, and when he was 15 it was decided that he would learn to paint. Rather than quitting his math studies, he incorporated them into his paintings, and during his life he published many papers on perspective and use of light. His ability to mix traditional style with his own progressive techniques really shows through with this painting. This was after his trip to Florence, and so there are elements of Fra Angelico's works in his style. This painting was done at the high point of Piero's life, which is probably why it's my personal favorite. I love the emotive faces, the dove hovering over Jesus, the way the water reflects the sky, and the perfect proportions in this painting.


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The Baptism of Christ

1305
Giotto, The Baptism of Christ, circa 1305
"Yah, I wanna get washed up!" -Jesus, Godspell

I cannot pretend that The Baptism of Christ captivated me with its composition. That's not to say that I don't appreciate the theatrical staging of the piece, the driving focus on Jesus created by the rift in the rocks and the forceful downward thrust of God's arm, nor that I don't understand the rich blues, blacks, and reds that have endured seven-hundred years after they were first put to plaster. One could even persuade me, with little coaxing, to admit that the interplay of color in the heavens makes the piece's sky my favorite of all those in Giotto's work. Seriously, I'd like to have that painted on my ceiling. But these elements are not what made me choose to cover this work.

So what compelled me to choose the work for this weeks post? I just like the story behind the painting. The Baptism of Christ by John the Baptist marks one of the most important points in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In this moment, the Son of God puts himself on the same level as the people he had come to save. He humbles himself to John and accepts the baptism by water so that he may go on and baptize others.

That's why it strikes me as so odd that we insist on being prideful. Sure, a high score on the ACT or the highest essay grade in the class is great, but Jesus is supposed to be God's son. That's a pretty big deal. The man who the very heavens are said to have opened up for insisted that he be baptized by a poor man from the woods. He also dined with prostitutes and liars and thieves, and washed the feet of his disciples. The story compels me because it conflicts with so many parts of day to day life. It begs us to better ourselves. To take ourselves less seriously. The Messiah did it, now why can't we?

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