Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist
Jacob Duckmid-1600s
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
The colorful, exotic garments worn by the woman at the right demonstrate Jacob Duck’s skill in painting luxurious surfaces: she is Salome, daughter of Herodias. According to the New Testament, Herodias bore a grudge against John the Baptist, who condemned her marriage to Herod, ruler of Galilee and Perea. At a celebration dinner, Salome so charmed Herod with her dancing that he offered her anything she desired—and Herodias convinced Salome to demand John the Baptist’s head. Rather than depicting the actual execution, Duck focused on the executioner’s muscled physique as he departs the scene, turning to look at the viewer after having presented Salome with John’s severed head.
- Title: Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist
- Creator: Jacob Duck (Dutch, c. 1600–1667)
- Date Created: mid-1600s
- Physical Dimensions: Framed: 92 x 76.5 x 4 cm (36 1/4 x 30 1/8 x 1 9/16 in.); Unframed: 71 x 54.6 cm (27 15/16 x 21 1/2 in.)
- Provenance: (F. Muller, Amsterdam, sale H. I. A Raedt van Oldenbarnevelt et al., November 6 ff., 1900, no. 339 [fl. 280, to Valk]), Victor de Stuers (1858-1916, The Hague and Kasteel Wiersse, Vorden, The Netherlands); by descent to his daughter, Alice Jacqueline Hortense Julie Aurelie de Stuers (1895-1988), wife of W. E. Gatacre, Mrs. W. E. Gatacre, Jonkvrouwe de Stuers, Kasteel Wiersse, Vorden, Holland, (Christie’s, London, sale Mrs. W. E. Gatacre-Jonkvrouwe de Stuers, November 26, 1965, no. 42 [as by Hendrik Gerritsz Pot; 600 Gns., to Sokolow]), (Alan Jacobs Gallery, London), (Sotheby’s, London, sale December 6, 1972, no. 54 [as by Jacob Duck]), (The Arcade Gallery, London), Mr. and Mrs. Noah L. Butkin, Cleveland, by gift to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1975.
- Type: Painting
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1975.79
- Medium: oil on wood
- Fun Fact: The pommel of the executioner's sword is decorated with a grotesque head, suggesting an ancient or exotic setting for this event.
- Department: European Painting and Sculpture
- Culture: Netherlands
- Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Noah L. Butkin
- Collection: P - Netherlandish-Dutch
- Accession Number: 1975.79
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