Baptism of Christ

Tasmanian-born Robert Dowling established a successful career in Britain, where he explored narrative, biblical, historical and orientalist painting themes. The considerable scale and powerful visual impact of the Baptism of Christ is the pinnacle of his English religious subjects and is regarded as the most significant Christian image in the history of Australian art. 

Dowling’s religious subjects represent a response to the art of the avant-garde 

Pre-Raphaelites and his own deep-seated faith, while his Baptist childhood in Tasmania meant that his subjects were based on Protestant stories rather than on devotional imagery. It has also been suggested that this painting may have been inspired by the 1861 purchase by the National Gallery in London of Piero della Francesca’s altarpiece, Baptism of Christ, after 1437, viewed in situ by the artist.

Set in the River Jordan, the painting alludes to the biblical miracle referenced in Matthew 111:16 and John 1:32. The standing figure of Christ is presented wading towards the viewer, with St John the Baptist reaching to the opening heavens. The painted surface shows passages of extraordinary virtuosic painterly skill, with Dowling having used a range of painting techniques to capture elements in exquisite detail and to convey an overall sense of otherworldly glow. 

A sophisticated stippling technique has been applied to the aura surrounding the white dove and the Christ figure to refract light and create an optical shimmering effect and a perception of divinity, while the carefully painted droplets of water from Christ’s robes exude a sense of immediacy and realism. The painting is replete with a richly decorative gilded frame, featuring an inscribed cartouche and embellishments symbolic of the Passion.

Tracey Lock, Curator of Australian Paintings and Sculpture