Sevillian school; late seventeenth century.

Sevillian school, follower of BARTOLOMÉ ESTABAN MURILLO; late seventeenth century.
"St. John the Baptist.
Oil on canvas.
Measurements. 60 x 83 cm.
Devotional painting representing San Juan Bautista, made by a follower of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo within the Sevillian school in the late seventeenth century, embodies with delicacy and tenderness the most representative features of Murillo's style. In it, the young saint appears in a contemplative attitude, caressing a lamb, symbol of Christ's sacrifice, and dressed in his characteristic red cloak on camel skin. The rocky and somewhat rugged landscape that surrounds him, as well as the presence of the banner with the cross, reinforce his iconography as a precursor of Jesus, withdrawn into the desert.
The central figure, with a gentle face, soft gesture and low gaze, clearly reflects the influence of Murillo, not only in the youthful and almost androgynous idealization of the saint, but also in the emotional atmosphere, enveloped in a soft light and a palette of earthy and golden tones. Murillo, great master of the Spanish Baroque, knew how to adapt the counter-reformist language to a more intimate and accessible expression, which made him a key reference for a whole generation of Sevillian painters. This work fully participates in that heritage, fusing the spiritual message with a kind and human aesthetic that appealed to both the devotee and the lay viewer. In short, it is a painting that, without being by the hand of the master, faithfully conveys his devotional and emotional spirit, characteristic of Sevillian sacred art of the late seventeenth century.