Saint John the Baptist, François Boucher, ca 1755 by Atelier Liesjes

John the Baptist ("showed mercy"), in the Eastern Orthodox Church John Prodromos, John the Forerunner (c. 7 BC - c. 30, but certainly before 36 AD) is a prophet within Christianity, Mandeism and Islam.

John preached in the province of Judea around the year 30. The oldest sources about his life are the works of Flavius Josephus and the four gospels in the New Testament.

The most important aspect of John's ministry is expressed in his striking nickname: "Baptist," derived from βαπτιζω, baptizō, "to immerse." John performed a cleansing ritual in which the person to be baptized was completely immersed in the flowing waters of the Jordan River. This ritual appeared to have been an identifying feature of the "Baptist." Josephus, too, made reference to his baptismal activities (though it was reduced to a form of bodily care). Relative to the self-washing prescribed in the Torah, John's baptismal ritual, which a Baptist performs on a baptized person, seems to have been something new, innovative.

The man is sitting here naked or topless on a red cloth next to a sheep so that his legs and torso are bare or naked. Above him are angels, little angels in the form of putti or cupids.

All in all a sexy and sensual erotic picture with romance.

Francois Boucher (Paris, France 29 September 1703 - 30 May 1770) was a painter from the French school of the rococo. In 1723 he won the Grand Prix competition. The artist is known for his lovely, r