The Beheading of St. John the Baptist

Description On the plaque is represented the decollation of St. John the Baptist, blindfolded and kneeling at the door of his jail, dressed in his robe of camel's hair. The executioner swings a long sword with both hands. At the right stands Salome, bearing the charger. The costumes are those of the period around 1520. The courtyard of the castle is tiled. In the background, above the crenellated wall, Herod and Herodias observe the execution from the windows of their apartment.

Provenance William T. / Henry Walters Collection, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Credit Acquired by William T. or Henry Walters