854 - Saint John the Baptist as a child with the lamb. Signed. Spanish School. 19th century

Saint John the Baptist as a child with the lamb. Signed. Spanish School. 19th century Oil on canvas. Dimensions without frame: 111 x 91 cm. Dimensions with frame: 120 x 100 cm. The infant Saint John the Baptist is depicted seated on a rocky landscape, partially covered by a fur and a wide red cloak, accompanied by the lamb that symbolizes Christ as the Agnus Dei. His hand resting on his chest, his gaze raised, and his slightly open mouth intensify the devotional fervor, while the reed cross with a scroll completes its iconographic identification. The pyramidal composition focuses attention on the spiritual dialogue between the saint and the animal, set against a mountainous landscape bathed in a celestial light that reinforces the sense of revelation. The softness of the anatomical modeling, the tactile rendering of the fleece, and the richness of the red folds stand out, rendered with a warm palette and contrasts of light that lend volume and presence to the figures. The work expands upon Baroque models of religious subject matter through an academic sensibility characteristic of the 19th century, particularly evident in the idealization of childhood, the precise drawing, and the restrained theatricality of gesture. Rooted in the Spanish tradition of devotional painting, it retains the emotional and symbolic intensity of Counter-Reformation iconography, offering an image of considerable visual impact and appropriate solemnity.