As described in the Bible, when John the Baptist baptized Jesus, the heavens opened and the spirit of God descended as a dove. The artist places this scene by the walls of Jerusalem. Concepts of architectural grandeur prevalent in Europe at the end of the 18th century have led the artist to introduce vast classical buildings behind the city walls. Andrea Appiani, a Milanese artist, served as Napoleon's court painter in Italy.
<bdi><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Andrea_Appiani" class="extiw" title="w:en:Andrea Appiani"><span title="Italian painter (1754-1817)">Andrea Appiani</span></a>
</bdi>
circa 1800 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1800-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902</div>
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