While Marco Palmezzano seems to have lived in his hometown of Forli, he travelled frequently to Venice, where he is recorded as owning property in 1495. His paintings are noted for their archaic qualities. Palmezzano’s works show affinities with those of the Venetian master Giovanni Bellini and also with the Ferrarese school, located not far from his home town of Forli. In Baptism of Christ, the thin-flanked, bony forms of Christ and his bathing companion recall the distinctive angular forms of Cosmè Tura and Nottingham alabasters.