The Head of St John the Baptist on a Charger

In the Bible, St John the Baptist was beheaded at the request of Salome (the step-daughter of King Herod Antipas) for condemning Herod's marriage to Salome's mother, Herodias. This picture is based on or derived from a 1507 painting in the Louvre by Andrea Solario, which may itself have been based on a lost original by Leonardo da Vinci. Many versions of it exist.

This object is on display

Object type

Paintings

Date

Production: 17th century

Artist

Andrea Solario (c. 1460 - c. 1524) (copy after)

Subject(s)

Religion and Devotion

Associated person

Subject: St John the Baptist (c. 6 BC - c. AD 30)

Dimensions

Height x width x depth (canvas size): 510 x 400mm

Materials and technique

Oil on panel

Themes

St John the Baptist in the Museum’s collections

Credit line

Gift of Lord Mostyn, 1904 (presumed)

Catalogue number

1874