St John the Baptist Preaching of about 1634 may have been intended as a study for an etching that was never executed. The painting itself was still in Rembrandt's studio in 1652, after which it was sold to Jan Six; and it was apparently on this occasion that the artist made a drawing of it that included the frame (Louvre, Paris).
The picture shows the Baptist preaching in the wilderness 'to the multitude that came forth to be baptized' (Luke 3:3-18), among them rich and poor, publicans and soldiers. A popular subject in Renaissance art, especially in northern Europe, Rembrandt's picture was inspired by a lost painting by Lastman, that depicts the Baptist standing on a dais at the right and preaching to a cross-section of humanity, including soldiers and scribes, mothers and children.
MOST POPULAR PAINTINGS
The Storm on the Sea of Galilee
The Night Watch
The Return of the Prodigal Son
The Jewish Bride
The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp
The Polish Rider
Self Portrait, 1669
Jan Six, 1654
Hundred Guilder Print, 1649
Belshazzars Feast