# Birth of St John the Baptist [View the canonical artwork record]() ## Artwork - Artist: [TINTORETTO, Jacopo]() - Date: 1551-1600 - Technique: Oil on canvas, 270 x 204 cm ## Commentary Birth of St John the Baptist c. 1563 Oil on canvas, 270 x 204 cm San Zaccaria, Venice This canvas now occupies the place of honour in the main altar of the Chapel of Sant'Atanasio, the former nun's choir, in the Church of San Zaccaria. Certain aspects of the painting remain mysterious, although it was executed by a well-known artist for a prominent church. Some authorities view this as a youthful work, while others place it after 1560. The precise subject matter is also unclear. The picture is located in a church dedicated to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, which could indicate that the subject is the Birth of John the Baptist. However, the presence of angels appearing in a burst of heavenly light may, alternatively, suggest that the painting represents the Birth of the Virgin. ## Related artworks - [A Philosopher \(detail\)]() - [A Philosopher]() - [Allegory of Faith]() - [Allegory of Fortune \(Felicità\)]() - [Allegory of Generosity]() - [Allegory of Goodness]() - [Allegory of Happiness]() - [Allegory of the Scuola della Carità]() - [Allegory of the Scuola della Misericordia]() - [Allegory of the Scuola di San Giovanni Evangelista]() - [Allegory of the Scuola di San Marco]() - [Allegory of the Scuola di San Teodoro]() ## Attribution [Web Gallery of Art]()