Artwork
The Decapitation of St John the Baptist
The Decapitation of St John the Baptist is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Jacopo Bassano. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition underscores the abrupt violence of the martyrdom, emphasizing the stark confrontation between piety and brutality within a domestic setting.
The work depicts the biblical narrative of the beheading of John the Baptist, a pivotal moment in Christian iconography. The scene centers on Salome holding a platter to receive the severed head, while a soldier carries out the execution with a sword. A dog appears near the table, a motif often included to signify base instincts or the profane in contrast to the sacred drama.
The composition underscores the abrupt violence of the martyrdom, emphasizing the stark confrontation between piety and brutality within a domestic setting.
Technique & Style
Jacopo Bassano executed The Decapitation of St John the Baptist in 1550 using oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 131 cm in height and 126 cm in width, presenting a religious narrative scene. Stylistically, the painting depicts the beheading of John the Baptist alongside figures including a man, a woman, a dog, and a table with a tablecloth, rendered in the artist's characteristic handling of oil pigments.
History & Provenance
Created in 1550, The Decapitation of St John the Baptist is an oil painting on canvas executed by the Italian artist Jacopo Bassano. The work depicts the biblical beheading of John the Baptist and measures 131 by 126 centimeters. While the specific original commissioner and the complete chain of ownership prior to its current location are not detailed in the available records, the painting is presently held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
The museum serves as the current custodian of this religious genre piece, which remains attributed to Bassano's mid-16th-century output.
The painting The Decapitation of St John the Baptist by Jacopo Bassano (1550) is part of the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, Denmark, and is classified as a religious artwork.
The work is catalogued in the museum’s holdings but no accession or inventory number is published in the available documentation.
Exhibition records consulted do not mention a dedicated display of this canvas, indicating that its public exhibition history is not documented in the cited sources.
Overview
Jacopo Bassano's The Decapitation of St John the Baptist, painted around 1550, is an oil work depicting a pivotal moment from Christian scripture. This painting, currently housed at the Statens Museum for Kunst, presents the dramatic execution of John the Baptist. It is a significant example of Bassano's religious compositions, showcasing his approach to narrative and human emotion within a sacred context.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacopo Bassano was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Venetian school. He was born and died in Bassano del Grappa, and took the village as his surname. Having trained in the workshop of his father, Francesco the…
Moses Defending the Daughters of Jethro
Saint Paul before proconsul Felix of Caesarea
The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis and the Batavians in the Schakerbos
The Martyrdom of Saint Mennas
Cyriakus-Folge: Der hl. Cyriakus befreit Jobia vom bösen Geist
Beheading of Saint Catherine
Tobias buries the Dead in Nineveh
The Golden Calf
Diana and Actaeon
Marter des Hl. Bartholomäus