Salome with the Head of John
around 1512/16 | Cesare da Sesto
Dominating the scene, the sumptuously dressed Salome points at the head of the Baptist which, still dripping with blood, is being placed in a marble vessel by a henchman. The sphinx which functions as a table leg hints at the character of the beautiful, cruel protagonist. Leonardo‘s achievements in terms of technical artistry – the toned-down bright colours, the painting of light and darkness, and the sfumato (blurring of contours) are re-interpreted by Sesto: the body and objects glow against a dark background in bright, silvery-shimmering colours, the precision of which recalls the Old Dutch masters.
Dominating the scene, the sumptuously dressed Salome points at the head of the Baptist which, still dripping with blood, is being placed in a marble vessel by a henchman. The sphinx which functions as a table leg hints at the character of the beautiful, cruel protagonist. Leonardo‘s achievements in terms of technical artistry – the toned-down bright colours, the painting of light and darkness, and the sfumato (blurring of contours) are re-interpreted by Sesto: the body and objects glow against a dark background in bright, silvery-shimmering colours, the precision of which recalls the Old Dutch masters.
Artist:
Cesare da Sesto (1477 Calende/Lago Maggiore - 1523 Mailand) DNB
Time:
around 1512/16
Object Name
Painting
Culture
Italian, Lombard
Material/technology:
Poplar wood
Dimensions:
136,5 x 79,6 cm
Copyright
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Gemäldegalerie
Invs.
Gemäldegalerie, 202
Provenance
G.P. Lomazzo (?); before 1590 as a gift to Emperor Rudolf II. (?); 1733 in the gallery
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