St. John the Baptist as a Child 1665

‘St. John the Baptist as a Child’ was painted by Bartolomé Estebán Murillo in the 17th Century using oil paint on canvas, a popular fine art technique. Murillo was celebrated for his ability to convey realistic textures with paint, to give a sense of volume and form. But while this painting may seem to represent an elevated subject, there is also a powerful evocation of daily life. Look at how the artist has captured the soft fleece of the lamb, the rough texture of the rocks. The red drapery, too, is artfully crumpled and draped. Murillo’s skill was in taking these commonplace observations and elevating them with careful observation. And that brings us to the key point. In the end, Murillo’s work is not just about the biblical story, or the artist's technique; it is about how the labour of representation can bring the everyday and the divine together. It encourages us to see with fresh eyes.