The panel depicts the baptism of Christ in the river Jordan by St John. Christ stands in the water with his arms folded, while St John the Baptist pours water over his head from his outstretched right hand. John, who is wearing a brown robe, rather than the usual fur
The panel depicts the baptism of Christ in the river Jordan by St John. Christ stands in the water with his arms folded, while St John the Baptist pours water over his head from his outstretched right hand. John, who is wearing a brown robe, rather than the usual fur one, takes a sidestep, making it appear as if his front foot were floating on the water. A group of men behind St John bear witness to the event as do the two angels on the left side, holding Christ's robe. God the Father appears in an aureole in the sky above the expansive river landscape and sends the Holy Spirit down in the shape of a dove. The foreground is occupied by the kneeling donor family Schumann, consisting of four male members (two of which died in infancy )on the left side and nine female members (three of which died in infancy) on the right side.