1700
oil
canvas
From the collection of Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Dominant colour
Salome with the Head of John the Baptist is a 1700 oil by Godfried Schalcken, a Dutch Golden Age work, depicting Beheaded Head, held at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
This painting shows a woman holding a plate with a severed head. She is dressed in a red and blue dress, with her hair pulled back. The head on the plate is that of a man with a beard. The woman is looking at the head, and there are two other people in the background, one on either side of her. They are both looking at the head as well. The painting is done in a style that emphasizes the contrast between light and dark, with the woman and the head on the plate being the main sources of light. The background is dark, which helps to draw attention to the woman and the head. If you're interested in learning more about this style of painting, you might want to look into the technique of chiaroscuro.
Godfried Schalcken (8 October 1643 – 16 November 1706) was a Dutch artist who specialized in genre paintings and portraits.
See the richer artist page
