# St John the Baptist [View the canonical artwork record]() ## Artwork - Artist: [GRECO, El]() - Date: 1551-1600 - Technique: Pen and brown ink with brown and grey wash, heightened with white on paper, 136 x 55 mm ## Commentary The two drawings, representing St John the Baptist and <A onclick="return OpenOther\('/html/g/greco\_el/23/2302grec.html'\)" HREF="/html/g/greco\_el/23/2302grec.html">St John the Evangelist,</A> probably once formed a much larger composition depicting the <A onclick="return OpenOther\('/html/g/greco\_el/05/0502grec.html'\)" HREF="/html/g/greco\_el/05/0502grec.html">altarpiece</A> commissioned by Diego de Castilla from El Greco for Santo Domingo el Antiguo in Toledo. In its original state the complete drawing would have served as a 'contract piece' which El Greco would have presented and discussed with his patron. Unlike St John the Baptist, the figure of St John the Evangelist was considerably altered between the drawing and the painting. ## Related artworks - [A Boy Blowing on an Ember to Light a Candle \(Soplón\)]() - [A Lady in a Fur Wrap]() - [A Prelate]() - [A View of Toledo \(detail\)]() - [A View of Toledo]() - [Adoration of the Shepherds \(detail\)]() - [Adoration of the Shepherds]() - [Adoration of the Shepherds]() - [Allegory of the Camaldolese Order]() - [Altarpiece]() - [An Allegory with a Boy Lighting a Candle in the Company of an Ape and a Fool \(Fábula\)]() - [An Allegory with a Boy Lighting a Candle in the Company of an Ape and a Fool \(Fábula\)]() ## Attribution [Web Gallery of Art]()