St. John the Baptist Teaching

work by Rustici

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July 13, 2026

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The work "St. John the Baptist Teaching" is a large bronze statue group created by Giovanni Francesco Rustici in the winter of 1507-1508. Leonardo da Vinci assisted Rustici with this sculpture, which is housed in the Florence Baptistery.1

St. John the Baptist himself was a Jewish prophet who preached the imminence of God's Final Judgment and baptized those who repented to prepare them for it. He is revered in Christianity as the forerunner of Jesus Christ. After a period of desert solitude, John emerged as a prophet near the lower Jordan River valley. Jesus was among those who received his baptism.23

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Leonardo da Vinci
Second Milanese period (1508–13)
…Giovanni Francesco Rustici execute his St. John the Baptist Teaching, a large statue group in bronze for the Florence Baptistery. There are few extant examples to study of Leonardo’s sculptural work, and this piece offers discernible traces of his influence, notably in John’s stance, with the unusual gesture of his…
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…Giovanni Francesco Rustici execute his St. John the Baptist Teaching, a large statue group in bronze for the Florence Baptistery. There are few extant examples to study of Leonardo’s sculptural work, and this piece offers discernible traces of his influence, notably in John’s stance, with the unusual gesture of his…
Read More