Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist
Bernardino Luini (Italian, c. 1480-c. 1532)
1500s or later
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
unframed: 46.6 × 59.7 cm · framed: 72.1 × 87 × 5.7 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Holden Collection
Accession Number
1916.824
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
male
About this artwork
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 on an elaborate dish. Despite its biblical source, this work was meant for a domestic setting, whose owner would have admired the elegant presentation of a shocking story.