John the Baptist recognizes Christ by the appearance of a dove (folio 50 verso), from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier (1602–4): Art, History and Details

John the Baptist recognizes Christ by the appearance of a dove (folio 50 verso), from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier (1602–4) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Wearing the black robes and cap of a Jesuit priest, John the Baptist sits in a well-appointed Mughal-style courtyard. According to Father Jerome’s text, John recognizes Jesus by the dove who sits on his head. Possibly Father Jerome intended to relate the Gospel account that describes the dove of the Holy Spirit as hovering in the air above his head. The artist’s own reactions to this passage may be reflected in the expressions and gestures of the onlookers, who seem incredulous and bemused at this sign.

Object facts

• Title: John the Baptist recognizes Christ by the appearance of a dove (folio 50 verso), from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier
• Date: 1602–4
• Culture: Mughal India, Allahabad, made for Prince Salim (1569–1627)
• Type: Manuscript
• Technique: Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
• Dimensions: Sheet: 26.3 x 15.7 cm (10 3/8 x 6 3/16 in.); Image: 22.5 x 10.9 cm (8 7/8 x 4 5/16 in.)
• Collection: Indian Art
• Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
• Accession number: 2005.145.50.b

A detail from the museum

Jesus holds a rosary with a cross even in scenes prior to his crucifixion.

Collection credit

John L. Severance Fund

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.