''Birth of John the Baptist'' is a c. 1485–1490 tempera on panel painting by

Luca Signorelli Luca Signorelli ( – 16 October 1523) was an Italian Renaissance painter from Cortona in Tuscany, who was noted in particular for his ability as a draftsman and his use of foreshortening. His massive frescos of the ''Last Judgment'' (1499–15 ...

. Originally part of the

predella In art a predella (plural predelle) is the lowest part of an altarpiece, sometimes forming a platform or step, and the painting or sculpture along it, at the bottom of an altarpiece, sometimes with a single much larger main scene above, but oft ...

of an unknown altarpiece (though Raffaele Caracciolo definitively linked it to the Sant'Onofrio Altarpiece), it was acquired on the art market in 1824 by the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

, where it still hangs in the Salle des Sept-Mètres.

History and art review

The painting is thought to be an early work of Signorelli. It is unusually cursive in style for the artist, and is notable as an experiment in the use of dramatic lighting.Mostyn-Owen, W. (1953). "Exhibition of Luca Signorelli at Cortona". ''The Burlington Magazine''. 95 (605): 274–272. The ''Birth of John the Baptist'' has been called one of the best examples of the work of Signorelli.

References

Paintings by Luca Signorelli Paintings in the Louvre by Italian artists 1490 paintings Paintings depicting John the Baptist Paintings of Elizabeth (biblical figure) Altarpieces {{15C-painting-stub