Ga naar inhoud (Enter)

John the Baptist, 1895

  • bluestone
  • 71 x 30 x 53 cm
  • Inv. 1931-Q

Public Domain

Download PDF

Before World War I, George Minne hardly explored any Christian themes in his work. Instead the artist preferred more universal themes, mainly emphasising the deeply human emotion and expression in his subjects. At times, the artist did start from Christian themes, e.g., in John the Baptist. The graphic design and the undulations and curves of this sculpture are reminiscent of his Praying Nun and point to the influence of the Art nouveau style. The sculpture exists in a plaster and a blue stone version, which the Museum of Fine Arts Ghent both owns. Minne created several preliminary studies for his sculpture of John the Baptist. They show how the artist starts from the kneeling John the Baptist to create various studies of the kneeling young men.

Artist

George Minne RKD VIAF Wikidata
Ghent 1866 - Sint-Martens-Latem 1941
sculptorsAAT

Title John the Baptist
Date 1895
Period 19th century
Signatures, inscriptions, and markings signature and year: G. Minne 1895
Collection sculpture AAT
Object type bluestone AAT
Inventory number 1931-Q
Acquisition credit purchase
Minne, George
Sint-Martens-Latem
1931
Current whereabouts Work on display
Permalink https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1931-Q
IIIF Manifest https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/1200/manifest.json
Art & Architecture Thesaurus 300055874 religious symbolism AAT
Keywords Iconclass 11H(JOHN THE BAPTIST) John the Baptist; possible attributes: book, reed cross, baptismal cup, honeycomb, lamb, staff Iconclass
11Q2 (private) prayer; 'Oratione', 'Preghiere', 'Preghiere a Dio' (Ripa) Iconclass
11Q21 one person praying Iconclass
31A2321 leaning forward Iconclass
31A233 kneeling figure Iconclass
31A25312 head held in the hand(s), with elbows leaning on an elevation or on the knees Iconclass
73 New Testament Iconclass
73A (scenes from the life of) John the Baptist and Mary Iconclass
School / Style Symbolism (artistic concept) AAT
George Minne en de kunst rond 1900 (Tentoonstelling Gent, Museum voor Schone Kunsten, 18.09.1982 - 05.12.1982) / Robert Hoozee, Monique Tahon-Vanroose, Albert Alhadeff. - Brussel : Gemeentekrediet, 1982 (p. 116-117, cat. 48)
Verwantschap & Eigenheid : Belgische en Nederlandse kunst 1890-1945 (tentoonstelling Gent, Museum voor Schone Kunsten, 3.3 - 16.6.2002) / Marc Lambrechts, Piet Boyens, Robert Hoozee, Johan De Smet, John Steen. - Gent : Tijdsbeeld, 2002 ; Amsterdam : Amsterdam University Press, 2002 (p. 128 (ill.), 130, cat. 26)
George Minne : voorbode van de moderne kunst = ein Anfang der Moderne (tentoonstelling Bremen, Gerhard-Marcks-Haus, 13.10.2013 - 26.01.2014 ; Den Haag - Scheveningen, museum Beelden aan Zee, 31.01 - 25.05.2014) / Bettina Berg, Yvette Deseyve, Ernst Van Raaij. - Bremen : Gerhard-Marcks-Haus, 2013 ; Köln : Wienand, 2013
Belgische schone : Ensor tot Magritte ; Hoogtepunten uit de verzameling van het Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent (tentoonstelling Laren, Singer Laren, 16.06 - 30.08.2015) / Johan De Smet, Jan Rudolph De Lorm. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2015 ; Laren : Singer Laren, 2015 ; Heule : Uitgeverij Snoeck, 2015 (cat. 26 (ill. p. 13))
onder vrienden : 225 jaar verzamelaars rond het Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent (tentoonstelling Gent, Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 25.11.2023 - 28.04.2024) / Johan De Smet, Frederica Van Dam, Willy Van der Gucht, Manfred Sellink. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2023 ; Gent : De Vrienden van het Museum, 2023 (p. 184, cat. 187 (ill.))
Do you have any suggestions, questions or information about this work?
Write us, collectie.msk@stad.gent