The Baroque style of painting during the 1600 and 1700’s reflects an intense interest in expressing human emotion through art. Biblical scenes and representations of biblical characters are a common link between art works of that time throughout the different areas of Europe. Caravaggio represents the typical Italian Baroque artist at that time but possesses many artistic qualities uniquely his own. Bartolome Eseban Murillo, represents the typical Spanish Baroque painter. Both these painters demonstrate Baroque style, yet they have truly unique styles from each other. Caravaggio’s St. John the Baptist in the Wilderness is typical of Italian Baroque style during the 1600s and 1700s. Characteristics of Italian Baroque style are sharp contrasts of light and dark, violent movement created through the use of diagonals, and intense emotional expressions of theatrical scenes. Caravaggio’s style exhibits many of these same characteristics. The painting was originally intended for an altarpiece in a small oratory in a town west of Genoa. The massive size of the canvas leads to the belief that this painting would have been the focus in the oratory. The size of St. John is extremely large in comparison to the size of the canvas. His presence encompasses most of the canvas making him the focus of the piece. The actual iconography of Caravaggio’s painting is typical of it’s time period, yet the portrayal of John the Baptist is what makes this piece unique. Unlike most portrayals of biblical figures, that St. John appears naturalistic and not idealized. Caravaggio expresses this naturalism in the dirty, grimy feet of St. John. The fact that St. John is pictured alone is also nontraditional for this time period. He appears to be resting, his head hung slightly down, in the desolate wilderness, appearing defeated and worn out. The atmosphere intensifies his loneliness. The wilderness behind him feels dark, morose, and lo...
