St. John the Baptist was one of the most popular of all Saints throughout the Renaissance and most aspects of his life were depicted ranging from the visitation through baptism to his execution at the hands of King Herod. The inspiration for this treatment of St. John the Baptist comes directly from Leonardo da Vinci (Paris, Louvre) as it was Leonardo who popularised the Baptist as a single holy figure rather than the participant in a dramatic scene. Giampietrino has reduced Leonardo’s extravagant sfumato, making the whole image less intense and more conservative.

‍