Spain or Northern Italy, mid 16th - mid 17th century / c. 1550–1650
Head of Saint John the Baptist
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Head of Saint John the Baptist as painting (Spain or Northern Italy, mid 16th - mid 17th century · c. 1550–1650).
The scroll wrapped around the cross next to John the Baptist's head reads Ecce Agnus Dei , meaning "Behold the Lamb of God."
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as oil on canvas.
The museum's collection notes: Salome’s dancing so pleased her stepfather Herod that he offered her anything she wanted. Her mother advised Salome to demand John the Baptist’s head, which Salome presented to her family in an elaborate dish. Here, the head stands on its own, with a startlingly tangible presence. Despite its biblical source, this work was meant for a domestic setting, whose owner would have admired the artful presentation of a shocking story. Acquired in 1953 as the work of the Venetian Renaissance artist Titian, the painting soon lost this attribution because it lacks Titian’s distinctive brushwork. After decades of research, the museum has yet to identify
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtHead of Saint John the BaptistOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.