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The Head of John the Baptist on a Charger

Photograph
1857 (made)
Artist/Maker
Rejlander, Oscar Gustav (photographer)

Rejlander probably intended this photograph to be part of a larger composition, which told the biblical story in which the severed head of John the Baptist was presented to Salome on a plate. Rejlander never made the full picture, however, and instead produced multiple prints of the head alone.

Object details

Categories
Photographs
Biblical Imagery
Christianity
The Royal Photographic Society
Portraits
Object type
Photograph
TitleThe Head of John the Baptist on a Charger (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Albumen print from wet collodion negatives, pasted onto a card mount.
Photographic Paper
Albumen Process
Photography
Brief description
Photograph by Oscar Gustav Rejlander, 'The Head of John the Baptist on a Charger', albumen print, 1857
Physical description
Photograph of the head of a bearded man in a dish. This photograph was inspired by the Biblical story of Salome. It was made by combining two separate negatives, one of the head and the other of the dish or charger.
Dimensions
  • Image height: 105mm
  • Image width: 150mm
  • Mount height: 161mm
  • Mount width: 201mm
Marks and inscriptions
  • The Head of John the Baptist on a Charger. O. G. Rejlander. (Recto of mount, handwritten in pencil below print.)
  • RPS stickers and stamps on verso of mount.
  • Title, artist and date handwritten in pencil and black ink on verso of mount.
Gallery label
Making It Up: Photographic Fictions (2018)
Marta Weiss

Rejlander probably intended this photograph as part of a larger composition depicting the biblical episode in which John the Baptist’s head was presented to Salome on a platter. Rejlander never made the full picture, however, and instead produced multiple prints of the head alone.
Photography Centre 2018-20:

Oscar Gustaf Rejlander (1813–75)
Head of St John the Baptist on a Charger
1857

Rejlander probably intended this photograph to be part of a larger composition, which told the biblical story in which the severed head of John the Baptist was presented to Salome on a plate. Rejlander never made the full picture, however, and instead produced multiple prints of the head alone.

Albumen print
Museum no. RPS.1346-2017

The Royal Photographic Society Collection at the V&A, acquired with the generous assistance of the Heritage Lottery Fund and Art Fund
Credit line
The Royal Photographic Society Collection at the V&A, acquired with the generous assistance of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Art Fund.
Object history
Displayed in the 'Unknown Pleasures' exhibition at the National Science and Media Museum (NMPFT as was) January - March 2003.
Summary
Rejlander probably intended this photograph to be part of a larger composition, which told the biblical story in which the severed head of John the Baptist was presented to Salome on a plate. Rejlander never made the full picture, however, and instead produced multiple prints of the head alone.
Associated object
PROV.1477-2017 (RPS Group record)
Other numbers
  • XRP472 - RPS collection - V&A identifier
  • 2003-5001/2/20169 - Science Museum Group accession number
  • R5 - RPS identifier - artist name
  • 5088 - RPS identifier - inventory no.
Collection
Department of Photography
Accession number
RPS.1346-2017

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Record createdMay 25, 2017
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1393643/the-head-of-john-the-photograph-rejlander-oscar-gustav/
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