John the Baptist 1640

Guido Reni painted this image of John the Baptist in Italy in the first half of the 17th century. This was a time when the Catholic Church was working hard to maintain its power and influence. Reni, who trained at the progressive art academy in Bologna, here depicts John as an ascetic figure wearing animal skins, holding a simple cross and gazing heavenward. The figure expresses intense religious feeling at a time when the Catholic Church was promoting religious experience as a way of reaffirming faith. Reni’s style is classical and idealized, but he also brings an emotional intensity and realism to the subject, characteristics of the Baroque style. To understand the painting better we can look at the religious and social history of Italy at this time, using sources like sermons, pamphlets, and histories of the Catholic Church’s activities. Art is never made in a vacuum; it is always shaped by the institutions and social forces of its time.