Baptism of Christ

Oil on Canvas, 36 x 42in, 2019

The Baptism of Christ is a commissioned painting by Ryan J. Flynn. “I wanted to take on this commission in a different way. Traditionally the scene is depicted when John anoints Christ and the sprit of God appears in the form of a Dove. I wanted to focus on the emotional scene rather than the traditional one. Jesus is kneeling in the presence of God with a much more serious expression on his face because he understands the full implications of the journey he is now taking. John, stands and shows an expression of wonder, awe and joy, because he doesn’t understand what needs to happen next. It mirrors the idea of witnessing versus sacrificing.”

“This is the first painting I attempted where emotion was the subject, and the facial expressions needed to be perfect to portray the message that I wanted. I was very pleased with how this came out.  -Ryan Flynn