Flemish school of the first half of the 17th century

Flemish school of the first half of the 17th century.
"The baptism of Christ".
Oil on copper.
It presents faults and flaws.
Measurements: 22,5 x 17 cm.

This representation of the theme of the Baptism of Christ shows the figures to great size in the foreground, as it was habitual after the dispositions of the Council of Trent that directed the change of the Roman Catholicism in the Counter-Reformation. To the left of the Redeemer, dressed in the typical unfinished brown leather and a red cloak, is Saint John the Baptist, pouring water over Christ. In the center of the work, following an ascending line, is the dove of the Holy Spirit accompanied by the heads of angels, and, already in the river, Christ, dressed only in a cloth of purity. His posture shows a gesture of great humility as he bows his head while holding his two hands clasped on his chest. Almighty God observes the scene. Iconographically, the theme of the Baptism of Christ is one of the oldest in Christian art because of its theological importance and the Sacrament that derives from it (which is why it has undergone variations that, on occasions, can be related to liturgical variations in the Sacrament of Baptism). As it is logical, it has varied according to the moment, the style and the school to which each work belongs.