St John the Baptist with the scribes

In his characteristic style, Johann Carl Loth (1632–1698) depicts John the Baptist before the Scribes in close-up as a semi-nude. Wrapped in a red cloth over camel hair, his muscular body, modelled by light, emerges from the dark background. Since he is turned towards the two scribes in the shaded middle ground, he appears in profile, holding a wooden cross in his right hand.

Translated catalogue text from:
Ducke Astrid: Katalog. In: Astrid Ducke: Der Kuss der Musen. Festspiele göttlicher Inspiration. Residenzgalerie Salzburg. Salzburg 2020, S. 25–89, Johann Carl Loth, Heiliger Johannes der Täufer vor den Schriftgelehrten, S. 67, Abb. 61, S. 67

Translation: Gail Schamberger MA, Salzburg