The Preaching of Saint John the Baptist - Workshop by Frans II Francken (1581 - 1641)

Oil on reinforced oak panel. Early 17th-century Antwerp school, workshop of Frans II Francken.
The work can be seen in our Paris gallery.
Our painting depicts Saint John the Baptist preaching to a congregation of the faithful. Gathered in a clearing, whether seated, standing or on horseback, they form a compact crowd that forms a circle around the preacher. A veritable portrait gallery, his audience is a mix of characters of varying ages and conditions, all adopting very distinct attitudes.
John the Baptist, modestly dressed and nimbed in gold, is encased in an elegant contrapposto. He stretches out his arm in front of him, and the threatening sky appears to be clearing. Did the painter wish to foreshadow the Messiah's imminent arrival? Matthew, in his Gospel, places the scene in the desert, while Luke places it on the banks of the Jordan. And our painter transposed it to the edge of a continental forest, reminding us that he had never seen these distant lands and demonstrating his talent for painting luxuriant nature.
Narrative scenes depicting Saint John the Baptist preaching are rare, as they are relegated to the background of the more frequent representations of Christ's baptism or episodes from the Passion.

Our painting is presented in a handsome blackened wood frame with inverted profile and guilloches.
Dimensions: 48 x 60 cm - 64 x 76 cm with frame
Sold with invoice and certificate of appraisal