Head of Saint John the Baptist

Juan Vicente Macip, more often called Juan de Juanes, the best known Renaissance painter from Valencia, was so celebrated that he gained the byname of 'second Raffaello'. He mostly worked in the field of sacred painting, as in this case: the small oil on board has been attributed to Juan de Juanes thanks to stylistic characters typical of Valencian XVI century painting, and is derived from the Head of Saint John the Baptist on a plate by Andrea Solario, now in the Louvre, which has been copied many times. As in its prototype, the present work shows the severed head of the Baptist displayed on a tall silver tray, laying on a wooden surface, whereas the gilded background instead of Solario's black one makes it more similar to an icon.