Why it matters
Believed to be Leonardo's final painting, it shows John the Baptist emerging from the darkness with an enigmatic smile reminiscent of the Mona Lisa, pointing up to heaven. Kenneth Clark called it 'the eternal question mark, the enigma of creation'.
Did you know?
- It was probably completed between 1513 and 1516.
- It is painted on walnut wood.
- In 2022 it was lent to the Louvre Abu Dhabi for two years.
Based on the Wikipedia article Saint John the Baptist (Leonardo) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
