As indicated by the inscription, this is a study by Maratta for the altarpiece once in the baptismal chapel in Saint Peter’s. The painting of the "Baptism of Christ" survives at the Santa Maria degli Angeli in Rome where it was transferred along with other altarpieces from the chapel and substituted with copies in mosaic. The sketch was made from a life model in the studio, but observed through the lens of venerated masters like Raphael and Guido Reni. The decorative, almost fragile sensibility evident in this sensitive drawing with its quivering contour lines and delicate touch, anticipate the Neo-classical movement.
