Saint John the Baptist with a lamb 1600 - 1635

Giovanni Battista Caracciolo made this print of Saint John the Baptist with a lamb at an unknown date using etching. This intimate depiction presents the saint as a contemplative figure, accompanied by a lamb that symbolizes Christ. The image creates meaning through its visual codes, drawing on cultural references to Christian iconography. Caracciolo was working in Italy at a time when religious imagery was heavily influenced by the Counter-Reformation. Consider how features of Italian culture, such as the dominance of the Catholic Church, shaped the artwork. It invites viewers to reflect on their relationship with the divine. Understanding this artwork requires research into the religious and artistic climate of seventeenth-century Italy. Historians delve into such resources to reveal the social and institutional contexts that shape artistic production. This piece reflects art's dependence on social context and institutional forces.