John Linnell was very religious and expressed the importance of God’s creation in the subjects of his landscape paintings. Here a baptism is taking place in the landscape. Linnell was an important early influence on the young Samuel Palmer.
Baptism of the Eunuch 1835-45 by John Linnell (1792-1882). Oil on canvas
In this painting a group of figures wearing Eastern dress are gathered beside a small pool in which one man baptises another. The evening sky is reflected in the rippling water. On the left a rocky hillside rises above the scene which is framed on the right by an autumnal tree. A hilly landscape with distant mountains lies beyond.
Linnell was highly religious and painted sharply observed landscapes intended to convey the importance of God’s creation. John Linnell met Samuel Palmer in 1822 and introduced him to William Blake in 1824. Palmer married Linnell’s eldest daughter in 1837, who was also a talented artist. Sadly, relations between Palmer and Linnell deteriorated. Linnell, a successful artist, was overly critical of Palmer’s art for the rest of his life.
There are these inscriptions on the exhibit:
Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery collection, purchased by William Rothenstein 1942
Image © Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery
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