All About St. John the Baptist by Jeff Koons

Title of Artwork: “St. John the Baptist”

Artwork by Jeff Koons
Year Created 1988

Summary of St. John the Baptist by Jeff Koons

Koons’ sculpture was made in the same pose as da Vinci’s painting, St. John the Baptist; however, the artist added a pig and a bird into the saint’s arms after being inspired by the painting by Leonardo da Vinci. His extended arm is pointing in the direction of a cross. It has been called “an insouciant yet sinister conflation of the sacred and the profane” in some accounts.

All About St. John the Baptist by Jeff Koons

In February of 2004, the Wright Exhibition Space in Seattle was going to show one edition of the sculpture, but before that could happen, it was discovered that the arm of the sculpture had a significant crack in it. Although none of the editions have been sold at auction since it was purchased in 1991 for a total of US$150,000, it is reasonable to assume that the damage has resulted in a decrease in the piece’s resale price. 

A specialist in sculpture conservation named Patricia Leavengood was able to partially repair the damage and lessen the appearance of the crack in the sculpture. She did make the observation, however, that “When it cracked, part of it slid forward and can’t be moved back into place… This size of porcelain was never intended to be found in nature. My primary responsibility is to maintain the piece’s stability, which I am able to do.