3. The Baptism

The third film in a series about Christianity’s central figure: Jesus Christ.

It focuses on the Baptism of Jesus, discussing the representation of the Baptism in Two Panels with Scenes from the Life of Christ and the Virgin Mary from the Eastern Roman Empire or Italy from the 14th century in the Bode-Museum.

Presented by VCS Director Professor Ben Quash and Deputy Director Dr Jennifer Sliwka.

Artworks: Two Panels with Scenes from the Life of Christ and the Virgin Mary, Eastern Roman Empire or Italy (?), 14th century (frame 17th century), Steatite, partially gilded (p .62 byz cat.) inv. 272.

Part of the Series Unlocking Christian Art. Produced in partnership with the National Museums in Berlin, these short films tell the story of Jesus with the help of the treasures of the Bode-Museum and the Gemäldegalerie, both sculpture and painting. These films are designed to equip users to understand, read, and enjoy some of Europe’s greatest works of Christian art, as well as the texts that inspired them, and to encourage fresh interpretation and insight in today’s audiences.