Buy a giclee of The baptism of Christ, Maarten van Heemskerck (circle of), c. 1560 - c. 1565

In the centre foreground St John the Baptist, who is wearing his distinctive camel-hair tunic and leather belt, is baptising Christ on the bank of the river Jordan (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:32-34). The prominent tree behind Christ, a possible reference to the tree of life,8 separates the picture into two parts. On both sides of Christ people awaiting their baptism are getting undressed on the banks of the river. The dove of the Holy Ghost, revealing Christ’s divinity, is flying down towards him from an opening in the sky. Since its arrival in the Rijksmuseum this painting has been associated with the workshop of Jan van Scorel. Indeed, its composition has considerable similarities to Scorel’s Baptism of Christ of c. 1527-30, now in the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem (fig. a). In the Haarlem painting, Scorel, inspired by Italian iconography, introduced certain pictorial innovations, replacing, for instance, the traditional angels present at the baptism with figures undressing similar to those in the Rijksmuseum painting.9 In the Amsterdam Baptism, however, the figure group of Christ and St John stands out much more than in Scorel’s composition, and is depicted in reverse order to the right of the tree. This connects it even more closely to Maarten van Heemskerck’s depictions of this biblical episode, especially to his 1563 Baptism in the Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum in Braunschweig (fig. b). Heemskerck, who must have seen the Haarlem Baptism while working in Scorel’s workshop during the time of its execution, used Scorel’s composition as his main source of imagery for the Baptism throughout his career, starting with the 1531 Berlin Baptism,10 but modified it each time.11 Apart from the resemblance to the Braunschweig picture, small details of the Amsterdam painting are similar to other depictions of the Baptism by Heemskerck. For instance, St John’s bearded face is almost identical to the one in an undated Heemskerck drawing of The Baptism in the British Museum,12 which is undoubtedly connected to Philips Galle’s engraving of 1564.13 The crossed arms of Christ in the Amsterdam painting also appear in Heemskerck’s Warsaw Baptism,14 which is generally dated around 1565.15 The figures in the Amsterdam painting are rather awkward compared to what one would expect from Heemskerck, and the painting technique lacks his refinement. This would suggest that this is a workshop painting that was probably made around the same time as the 1563 Braunschweig Baptism. Even though Dirck van Bleyswijck did not mention this painting in his 1667 description of the Town Hall of Delft, it was auctioned in 1860 together with other paintings from the Town Hall, such as Maarten van Heemskerck’s Portrait of Johannes Colmannus (SK-C-507) and the wing with the Erythraean Sibyl (SK-A-1910). It can therefore be assumed that it was brought to the Town Hall from one of Delft’s religious institutions during or shortly after the 1566 iconoclasm. If this was indeed the case, and if it was executed around the mid-1560s, the painting did not hang in its original setting for long. (Ilona van Tuinen)

Related Artworks

Artist Biography

early life and training

maerten van heemskerck, a prominent dutch portrait and religious painter, was born on june 1, 1498, in the village of heemskerk, north holland. his artistic journey began under the guidance of cornelius willemsz in haarlem, followed by a brief stint in delft with jan lucasz. eventually, he became a pupil of jan van scorel, adopting his teacher's italian-influenced style.

career highlights

maerten van heemskerck's work is characterized by its innovative blend of dutch and italian influences, as seen in his famous family portrait, considered the first of its kind in a long line of dutch family paintings.
his collaboration with antonio da sangallo the younger, battista franco, and francesco de' rossi (il salviati) on the redecoration of the porta san sebastiano in rome, a triumphal arch in honor of charles v, showcases his rapid execution as a scene-painter.
heemskerck's drawings of classical sculpture and architecture, now preserved in two sketchbooks at the kupferstichkabinett berlin, demonstrate his skill in capturing the essence of italian art.

notable works and legacy

conclusion

maerten van heemskerck's profound impact on the art world is undeniable. his works, now a part of various museum collections, including the rijksmuseum, continue to inspire artists and art enthusiasts alike. to explore more of his masterpieces, visit maerten van heemskerck's page on ArtsDot. for a deeper understanding of his life and works, refer to his biography on wikipedia.

maerten van heemskerck

1498 - 1574

Quick Facts

Artistic Movement Or Style: Mannerism
Artists Who Influenced This Artist:
- Jan van Scorel
- Antonio da Sangallo the Younger
Date Of Birth: June 1, 1498
Date Of Death: October 1, 1574
Full Name: Maerten Jacobsz van Heemskerck
Nationality: Dutch
Notable Artworks:
- Lamentation on the Dead Christ
- Pieter Jan Foppeszoon and his Family
- Christ as the Man of Sorrows
Place Of Birth: Heemskerk, Netherlands