Feast of Herod

According to the Gospel of Saint Mark, John the Baptist was imprisoned after he denounced King Herod for marrying his sister-in-law, Herodias. Later, at Herod’s birthday feast, Herodias’s daughter, Salome, danced to entertain the guests. She so pleased the king that he promised her whatever she wished. At her mother’s urging, Salome asked for the head of John the Baptist, which she then presented to her mother on a silver charger.

In Mattia Preti’s presentation of the shocking event, the major figures—Salome, Herodias (in the center), and Herod—are nearly devoid of emotion. Their forms emerge in light from the shadows behind, and the drama of the event is carried in gestures of the hands. Though the mood and the coloring are dark, Preti convincingly stages a sumptuous banquet, with elaborate garments and jewels and a rich display of tableware on tiered shelves in the background.