The Feast of Herod and the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist
1461-1462
Medium
tempera on poplar panel
Dimensions
overall: 23.8 x 34.5 cm (9 3/8 x 13 9/16 in.) framed: 40.3 x 50.6 x 4.4 cm (15 7/8 x 19 15/16 x 1 3/4 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CIS-R
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Samuel H. Kress Collection
Accession Number
1952.2.3
Art Historical Context
Benozzo Gozzoli, a prominent Florentine painter of the Early Renaissance (c 1420–1497), created *The Feast of Herod and Beheading of Saint John Baptist* between 1461 and 1462. This intimate tempera painting on poplar panel, measuring just 23.8 x 34.5 cm, captures a biblical episode from the New Testament (Mark 6:17–29). At Herod's lavish banquet, Salome dances to secure the head of John the Baptist, blending opulent revelry with impending tragedy—a popular theme in Renaissance religious art symbolizing the triumph of faith over tyranny. Gozzoli's style, influenced by masters like Fra Angelico...