This relief panel depicting The Baptism of Christ forms part of the richly ornamented font installed in Lichfield Cathedral around 1862. Designed by the architect William Slater and carved by the Scottish sculptor James Forsyth, the work exemplifies the union of architectural design and sculptural craft that characterised the Gothic Revival’s most accomplished ecclesiastical furnishings. Constructed in Caen stone, with elements of alabaster and marble, the font harmonises delicacy of detail with devotional solemnity.

The scene portrays Christ standing within the waters of the Jordan, head bowed as St John the Baptist pours the water of baptism over Him. Two attendant angels stand to the left, one reverently holding a folded robe, the other inclining forward in worship. Above, the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove, rays of divine light streaming downward to unite the composition in a circle of grace. The figures are modelled in low relief with exquisite refinement, their gestures calm and rhythmic, framed by slender colonettes of red marble and trefoil arches that blend architectural precision with sculptural warmth.

Forsyth’s carving achieves a subtle balance between naturalism and stylisation: the fluid folds of drapery and tender expressions evoke human intimacy, while the idealised forms retain a sense of sacred timelessness. In its material richness and contemplative beauty, the panel embodies the high ideals of mid-Victorian church art—faith translated into finely wrought stone, where craftsmanship becomes an act of devotion.