Sculptural group in white marble, composed of three larger-than-life figures, depicting the Baptism of Christ (Christ being baptized by Saint John in the presence of an angel). It originally stood on the external east side of the Baptistery, above the Door of Paradise, as part of the 16th-century sculptural cycle on the life of the Baptist, which consisted of three groups positioned above the building’s three entrances. The sculptor Andrea Sansovino carved the figures of Christ and Saint John the Baptist between 1502 and 1505, but both were completed in 1569 by Vincenzo Danti. The two statues are marked by refined design and naturalistic forms: Christ, standing and half-nude with his hands clasped to his chest, displays the Apollonian beauty of an ancient marble. Complementing his composed stance is the figure of the Baptist, more dynamic in both his forward-leaning pose and in the modeling, with areas of strong chiaroscuro. Distinct from these is the Angel, added in the late 18th century by Innocenzo Spinazzi, whose elongated and soft forms reflect the late Baroque style of the period.

The original group was replaced by a copy and brought into the Museum, where, since 2015, it has been reunited with the Door of Paradise and the other sculptural groups from the same cycle. The episode of Christ’s Baptism, as recounted in the Gospels, is central to the narratives of both John the Baptist and Jesus, and holds particular significance in Christian faith as the moment that instituted the sacrament of Baptism. This explains the presence of the subject above the main entrance of the temple dedicated to Saint John, where Baptism was administered to the citizens of Florence. These statues therefore served as a reminder of both the church’s patron saint and his role in the salvation of believers.