The Baptism of the Eunuch, c.1632 (oil on panel)

Artist: JACOB DE WET (Haarlem 1610–Cologne 1677) This painting depicts a passage from the Acts of the Apostles (8-26-40) in which the apostle Philip encounters an Ethiopian eunuch on the road between Jerusalem and Gaza. The eunuch, treasurer to Candace, Queen of Ethiopia was returning from Jerusalem where he had gone to worship. Philip saw him seated in his chariot, reading aloud from the writings of the prophet Isaiah, and engaged him in conversation. Invited to ride in the vehicle, Philip explains that the passage from Isaiah foretells the crucifixion of Christ. Upon arriving at a stream, the eunuch asks to be baptized.