Leonardo da Vinci and Andrea del Verrocchio,
The Baptism of Christ, c. 1470-1480, Galleria degli Uffizi
The golden cupbearer in this case was Settignano and had many a reason to inquire into nature. You feel the vital organ of the heart really had an animal spirit and one also existed in the brain. You feel he really served nectar and ambrosia to the Gods with his divine sculptures. His heart was so much part of his sculpture that a golden fleece was necessary and you feel he was almost to close to God. Working in the workshop of Donatello must have enabled him to give the blessing he needed with sculpting Saint John. There have been so many different interpretations of Saint John the Baptist, along with the blessing of Christ, mainly in painting but also several sculptures. For example, Piero della Francesca's, Battesimo di Christo, c. 1488 and Verrocchio and Leonardo da Vinci's, Battesimo di Christo, c. 1470-1475.
Piero della Francesca, Battesimo di Christo,
c. 1488, The National Gallery, London
