PROVENANCE: George A. Hoskins, 1857; Lady Agnes Chichester Dixon-Hartland; Ashley Manor, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham; David Koetser; Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John Strong to BJU, 1967.

Castillo was born in Córdoba and first learned his craft from his father, Agustín del Castillo, who died when the boy was only 15. His style exhibits an eclectic mix of influences, from Zurbarán and Murillo to the Flemish artist Frans Franken, the Younger. The present work's Caravaggesque lighting reflects knowledge of works by Zurbarán, while the beautifully rendered background landscape is reminiscent of Franken.

This captivating image of St. John the Baptist in the Wilderness illustrates the lingering effects of the Caravaggesque idiom in Spain. Caravaggio's paintings were well known to Spanish artists through copies, followers' works, and original commissioned paintings. Not surprisingly, Castillo's Baptist and Caravaggio's famous work on the subject now in Kansas City share similarities. Here John looks to heaven for inspiration as he points to the symbolic Lamb of God.

The youthful Baptist alone in the wilderness became the popular portrayal of this saint in the 17th century. As the preacher of penance, John held a special place in the Catholic Church's Counter-Reformation program to appeal to the masses affected by the teachings of Luther and other Reformers. More importantly, however, Christ commended and memorialized John by declaring that "among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist" (Matthew 11:11).