St. John the Baptist in Art

The Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist

On June 24th, the Church invites the faithful to celebrate the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. The Church rarely celebrates both the birth and death of a saint except our Blessed Mother and of course Jesus’s own Nativity and Passion. However, the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist stretches all the way back to the early 4th century. The date of June 24th was chosen by counting three months forward from the date of the feast of the Annunciation (March 25th, off a day due to calendar math). The Archangel Gabriel reveals to Mary that “Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God” (NABRE Luke 1:36). In the past, St. John’s Eve was celebrated with grand bonfires pointing towards John’s role as a prophet of Christ, leading sinners to Jesus. St. John’s feast and fire are also associated due to the feast’s proximity to the summer solstice, on June 21st. Many see this proximity to the Summer Solstice as fitting John’s proclamation that Jesus “must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30), similar to how the days grow shorter from the summer solstice until the winter solstice on December 21st, three days before Christmas. 

Who was John the Baptist?

John the Baptist is one of the more intriguing figures in the Bible.  In the New Testament at least, we have a lot of information on him especially compared to other followers of Christ. Our first introduction to him is as a child in the womb of his mother who leaps for joy at the hearing of Mary’s voice (Luke 1:44). John’s birth is accompanied by the miraculous restoration of his father’s, Zechariah, ability to speak. He sings the beautiful canticle which the Church daily prays at the close of morning prayer. Luke closes John’s infancy narrative: “The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel” (Luke 1:80). We do not see John again until he appears in the wilderness, preaching and baptizing people who come to him in the Jordan River. In Matthew, we get the description of John in the desert, a man who wears, “clothing made of camel’s hair and”, whose “food was locusts and wild honey” (Matthew 3:4). He prophesied to Christ’s divinity, exclaiming, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). And ultimately, he is put to death because of his preaching of God’s call to repentance and jealousy. 

John the Baptist in Art 

With such a rich and dramatic story, it is no surprise that St. John the Baptist has served as a great inspiration for many artists throughout the centuries. John is typically depicted as the man of the desert, wrapped in camel hair and sometimes holding a cross made of reeds. Another popular representation of John the Baptist is as a child with the Christ Child or holding a lamb, symbolizing Christ.  However, one of

my favorite depictions of John the Baptist is by Caravagio. Now housed at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, Caravaggio depicts John as a young man, deep in thought. John’s red cloak seemingly glows in the painting, contrasted to the dark shadows around John’s eyes. This appears to be John before his public ministry. He seems to know what he is going to be called to do, to witness to the Christ, and is steeling himself for the task. 

Prayerfully Celebrating the Nativity of St. John the Baptist

On or around June 24th, take a moment to read the story of John the Baptist in the Bible and maybe look up some depictions of him in art. In prayer, put yourself at the feet of John and his pointing you to follow Christ. Follow John’s example by decreasing and allowing Christ to increase in your prayer and life. And, as the summer season gets into full swing, have a fire and pray the Canticle of Zechariah in celebration of the Nativity of John the Baptist. The Church gives us these feasts to recall the events of Salvation history and to give us models of a life of faith. Let us use the feast of John the Baptist’s nativity to grow closer to God in prayer and service. St. John the Baptist, pray for us!