Artwork
Salomé with the Head of John the Baptist
Salomé with the Head of John the Baptist is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Palma il Giovane. It dates from 1600 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a work of religious art, the composition centers on the woman, identified as Salomé, alongside the beheaded head of the prophet.
The painting depicts the biblical narrative of Salomé holding the severed head of John the Baptist on a platter. As a work of religious art, the composition centers on the woman, identified as Salomé, alongside the beheaded head of the prophet. The scene also includes a serving woman, situating the moment within a specific narrative setting.
This imagery serves as a visual representation of the story in which Salomé presents the martyr's head, illustrating the consequences of her mother's request and the fulfillment of a fatal vow.
Technique & Style
Created in 1600, Salomé with the Head of John the Baptist is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. The work measures 92 cm in height and 76 cm in width, presenting a religious genre scene. The composition depicts the central figure of Salomé alongside the severed head, a platter, and a serving woman.
As an oil painting, the medium allows for the rendering of these figures within a narrative setting characteristic of the artist's approach to religious subjects during this period.
History & Provenance
Palma il Giovane created the oil painting Salomé with the Head of John the Baptist in 1600. The work entered the collection of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria, forming part of his renowned painting collection. Before reaching the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where it is currently held, the painting was associated with Nicolas Régnier and James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton.
Its inventory number at the museum is GG 1830, and it entered the collection among the holdings assembled by Archduke Leopold Wilhelm during the mid-seventeenth century.
Overview
Palma il Giovane, a Venetian artist, painted Salomé with the Head of John the Baptist in 1600. This oil painting exemplifies the early Baroque period in Italy. It portrays the biblical figure Salome presenting the severed head of John the Baptist on a platter.
The composition uses dramatic lighting to emphasize the central figures and their grim subject matter, characteristic of the era's emotional intensity. The work is now part of the collection at the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Iacopo Negretti (1548/50 – 14 October 1628), best known as Jacopo or Giacomo Palma il Giovane or simply Palma Giovane ('Young Palma'), was an Italian painter from Venice and a notable exponent of the Venetian school.
- Salome with the Head of John the Baptist
Salome with the head of John the Baptist
Salome with the head of John the Baptist
Salome with the Head of John the Baptist
Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist
Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist
Salome with the Head of John the Baptist
Salome with the head of John the Baptist
Salome with the head of St. John the Baptist
Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist
Salome with the Head of John the Baptist
Salome with the head of St John the Baptist