Salome with the head of John the Baptist
Print
1631 (etched)
1631 (etched)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
According to the New Testament (St Mark's Gospel), John the Baptist criticised King Herod for marrying Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip and the mother of Salome. The angry Herodias gained her revenge at a banquet, when Salome's dancing so pleased the king that he offered her anything she wanted. Herodias told her to ask for the head of John the Baptist. In this print Salome is pictured with the Baptist's severed head, pinching the tongue that had spoken out against her mother.
The scene is dramatically lit by a single candle. Effects like this are hard to achieve in black and white prints and give the printmaker an opportunity to show off his skills.
The scene is dramatically lit by a single candle. Effects like this are hard to achieve in black and white prints and give the printmaker an opportunity to show off his skills.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Salome with the head of John the Baptist (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Etching on paper |
| Brief description | Etching. Willem Panneels after Peter Paul Rubens. Salome with the head of John the Baptist, 1631. |
| Physical description | 'Salome with the head of John the Baptist'. After Peter Paul Rubens. Etching print on paper. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Gallery label | A counter proof is a print not from the plate, but made by passing a dampened sheet of paper through a press in contact with a freshly printed impression. A counter proof shows the image the same way round as it is on the plate and therefore helps the printmaker during the progress of the work.
Printmaking Techniques Gallery, Henry Cole Wing(1983) |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | According to the New Testament (St Mark's Gospel), John the Baptist criticised King Herod for marrying Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip and the mother of Salome. The angry Herodias gained her revenge at a banquet, when Salome's dancing so pleased the king that he offered her anything she wanted. Herodias told her to ask for the head of John the Baptist. In this print Salome is pictured with the Baptist's severed head, pinching the tongue that had spoken out against her mother. The scene is dramatically lit by a single candle. Effects like this are hard to achieve in black and white prints and give the printmaker an opportunity to show off his skills. |
| Associated object | E.760-1982 (Version) |
| Bibliographic reference | Lambert, Susan. Prints : Art and Techniques. London : V&A Publications, 2001. p 7. : ill. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.759-1982 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | November 26, 2002 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
