The baptism of Christ

On the banks of the Jordan River in Palestine, Jesus is being baptized by Saint John, who is wetting Christ's head with water. Saint John the Baptist holds a thin cross and a scroll with the announcement of the advent of the Savior: ECCE AGNUS DEI [QUI TOLLIT PECCATA MUNDI] ("Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Gospel according to John 1, 29) . Also present at the event are two kneeling angels, one of whom is holding Jesus' clothes.

In the mid-16th century, the historian Giorgio Vasari narrates that for the execution of the painting, Andrea del Verrocchio received help from a young student, Leonardo, who painted the figure of the angel on the left with such skill that it bothered the elders. Verrocchio. Current studies are aimed at considering that Leonardo's interventions are more extensive, including the enchanting riverside landscape, the golden light and the figure of Christ. It was common, in the studios of 15th century artists, for the head of the studio to design the piece, leaving the secondary parts to be painted by students and collaborators. It is likely that in the panel with the Baptism of Christ, as well as Verrocchio and Leonardo, another older painter also worked on the piece. This is suggested by the less developed nature of some details, such as the hands of God and the dove of the Holy Spirit, above. Leonardo's angel stands out for the articulated posture of his body, where it is possible to see his shoulders and young face, as if he were turning around, along with the natural drapes of the light blue tunic.

The panel comes from the church of the Vallombrosan monastery of San Salvi in Florence. In 1730 it was transferred to another Vallombrosan monastery in Florence, Santa Verdiana, and from there, it joined the Florentine Galleries in 1810. In the Uffizi since 1919.