John the Baptist

"John the Baptist" is an exquisite Baroque sculpture created by Alonso Cano, a celebrated artist of his era. This masterpiece is housed in the National Sculpture Museum in Valladolid. Cano sculpted this piece while he was in Seville, specifically for the church of San Juan de la Palma.

The story behind the sculpture is quite intriguing. In 1634, the Parish of Saint John the Baptist commissioned a new retable, which is an ornamental screen adorning the back of an altar. They contracted painter Juan del Castillo and retable joiner Miguel Cano, Alonso's father, for the project. The retable was designed to include several paintings and feature a statue of Saint John at its center.

Alonso Cano drew inspiration for his "John the Baptist" from another renowned work—Martínez Montañés’ "St. John the Baptist" at St. Anne’s convent in Seville. What distinguishes Cano's sculpture is its idealized naturalism, merging lifelike details with a sense of perfection that encapsulates the essence of the Baroque period.