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Beheading of St. John the Baptist

Drawing
16th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Polidoro Da Caravaggio (artist)
Place of origin
Italy (drawn)

Beheading of St. John the Baptist; The scene represented under an archway, where the daughter of Herodias is receiving the head on a charger; soldiers are grouped around the decapitated saint, whose body has fallen on the ground over his cross; Pen and bistre, washed and heightened with white.

Object details

Category
Drawings
Object type
Drawing
TitleBeheading of St. John the Baptist
Materials and techniques
Pen and bistre, washed and heightened with white
Pen
Bistre
Drawing
Wash Technique
Heightening
Brief description
Polidoro da Caravaggio (ascribed to); Beheading of St. John the Baptist; The daughter of Herodias is receiving the head on a charger; Pen and bistre, washed and heightened with white; 16th century.
Physical description
Beheading of St. John the Baptist; The scene represented under an archway, where the daughter of Herodias is receiving the head on a charger; soldiers are grouped around the decapitated saint, whose body has fallen on the ground over his cross; Pen and bistre, washed and heightened with white.
Dimensions
  • Height: 10.9in
  • Width: 14.1in
Original measurements converted from fractional inches into decimal inches (rounded to one decimal place). Dimensions taken from: DYCE COLLECTION. A Catalogue of the Paintings, Miniatures, Drawings, Engravings, Rings and Miscellaneous Objects Bequeathed by The Reverend Alexander Dyce. London : South Kensington Museum, 1874.
Credit line
Bequeathed by Rev. Alexander Dyce
Subjects depicted
Religion (Concept)
Man's Head
Soldiers
Charger
Crosses (Objects)
St. John the Baptist
Bibliographic references
  • DYCE COLLECTION. A Catalogue of the Paintings, Miniatures, Drawings, Engravings, Rings and Miscellaneous Objects Bequeathed by The Reverend Alexander Dyce. London : South Kensington Museum, 1874.
  • Ward-Jackson, Peter, Italian Drawings. Volume II. 17th-18th century, London, 1979, p. 104 The following is the full text of the entry: The beheading of St John the Baptist Inscribed in pencil in a modern hand on the mount 'M. A. Caravaggio' Pen and ink and wash heightened with white on brown washed paper 11 x 13 1/8 (280 x 333) Dyce 214 PROVENANCE Dyce Bequest 1869 LITERATURE Dyce Catalogue no. 214 (as 'anonymous, ascribed to Polidoro Caldara') The strong chiaroscuro and the highlighting of realistic details suggest a provincial follower of Caravaggio.
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
DYCE.214

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Record createdSeptember 11, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1136957/beheading-of-st-john-the-drawing-polidoro-da-caravaggio/
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