Head of John the Baptist
Can I see it?
Unknown
Where is “Head of John the Baptist” now? Collection: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Unknown.
Rijksmuseum
Amsterdam, Netherlands
The owner is known; whether it is on view today is not.
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
At the request of his stepdaughter Salome, Herod ordered the beheading of John the Baptist. She was given his head on a platter. This macabre theme – often called Johannes in disco (John on a plate) – is represented here. The platter, however, is missing. The deathly pale alabaster, the open mouth and tongue and the deep-set eye sockets reinforce the harsh realism.
Rijksmuseum
Details
- Accession number
- BK-1998-1
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Rijksmuseum
- Image: Rijksmuseum — public domain
