The Beheading of St. John the Baptist
Statuette
ca. 1600 (made)
ca. 1600 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Small scale virtuoso sculpture formed an important part of many cabinet collections. They usually represented classical or biblical subject matter with an emphasis on physical action and the representation of nude or partially nude figures. In this case, the eroticised representation of Salome, with her bared breast and seductive gaze over her left shoulder is typical. The group was carved in boxwood, a suitable material for small-scale works, in the Southern Netherlands in about 1600. The executioner once held John the Baptist's severed head aloft. Several other figures of Salome from similar groups have survived, attesting to the popularity of this subject in the years around 1600.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
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| Title | The Beheading of St. John the Baptist (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Statuette, boxwood, the beheading of St. John the Baptist, South Netherlandish, ca. 1600 |
| Physical description | The group comprises three figures, each attached to a wooden base. The group depicts the executioner holding up the severed head of St. John the Baptist, whose decapitated body lies at his feet. Salome, fashionably dressed with an elaborate feathered headdress, stands with the dish in her hands, turning away to talk to some unseen figure. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Bought in 1864 for 30£. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Literary reference | Mark 6:24-28 |
| Summary | Small scale virtuoso sculpture formed an important part of many cabinet collections. They usually represented classical or biblical subject matter with an emphasis on physical action and the representation of nude or partially nude figures. In this case, the eroticised representation of Salome, with her bared breast and seductive gaze over her left shoulder is typical. The group was carved in boxwood, a suitable material for small-scale works, in the Southern Netherlands in about 1600. The executioner once held John the Baptist's severed head aloft. Several other figures of Salome from similar groups have survived, attesting to the popularity of this subject in the years around 1600. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1173:3-1864 |
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| Record created | March 25, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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