Johannes de Doper wijzend op het Lam 1550 - 1591

Bernardino Campi created this small drawing, “Johannes de Doper wijzend op het Lam”, in the 16th century. It depicts John the Baptist pointing to the Lamb of God in a moment of revelation and recognition central to Christian theology. Campi was working in a time of religious reform and Counter-Reformation. It's not surprising, then, that he revisits such a weighty subject. John is shown as androgynous, a figure in nature with a loose garment barely covering his nakedness. His languid pose contrasts with the upright figures behind him. Are they disciples or Pharisees? This tension is palpable. The artist uses delicate strokes to convey the figures’ interiority, reflecting a society grappling with religious identity. Campi seems to be less interested in the traditional representations and more engaged with the emotional and spiritual aspects of the story. He invites us to reflect on faith, doubt, and the burden of truth.