Offered by Antichità Castelbarco
Tiziano Vecellio (Pieve di Cadore, 1490 – Venice, 1576) School of
Salome with the Head of John the Baptist
Oil on canvas 116 x 99 cm. In an antique frame: 144 x 121 cm.
This work draws inspiration from Titian’s splendid painting ‘Salome with the Head of John the Baptist’, now housed in the Prado Museum in Madrid, a masterpiece from the Veronese master’s mature period, created around 1550.
The beautiful Jewish princess Salome, daughter of Herodias and Herod Philip I, occupies the centre of the scene, portrayed with the features of a typical Venetian Renaissance beauty, wearing sumptuous 16th-century attire, with a red damask gown and wide white sleeves that emphasise her sensuality and movement.
She holds aloft a silver tray in a triumphant pose, upon which rests the severed head of St John the Baptist, illustrating a biblical passage from Matthew (14:1–11) and Mark (6:22–28).
According to the biblical account, Salome obtained the head as a reward from King Herod, who was enchanted by the dance the young woman performed in his honour, at the instigation of her mother Herodias.
The compositional choice to direct Salome’s bewitching gaze straight towards us, the viewers of the painting, is exquisite, leaving us captivated by her sweetness and detachment from the episode in which she played the leading role: this stylistic choice transforms the biblical scene into a direct psychological encounter with the observer, evoking emotional involvement.
Returning to our painting, it is a fine work, in good condition, created by a follower or, more likely, by a painter from Titian Vecellio’s own workshop.
The composition is very interesting: it is not, in fact, a simple replica of a well-known painting by the master, but a synthesis of sources of inspiration; specifically, the figure of Salome draws on the famous painting that Titian produced around 1550 and which is now in the Prado Museum in Madrid (Ref. 1), whilst the figures of the two maidservants accompanying the protagonist are rendered in the most typical Titianesque style.
In particular, both the woman in profile on the left and the one looking upwards echo other female figures painted by Titian: we can find them, almost identical, in works such as the Allegory of Love (Titian, Wawel Royal Castle Collection, Kraków - Ref. 2), where both female prototypes appear, or in the Allegory of Spain Coming to the Aid of Religion (Titian, Museo del Prado, Madrid - Ref. 3).
Delevery information :
We take care of and organise the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.
We take great care We personally take care of the packaging, to which we devote a great deal of care: each work is carefully packed, first with arti- cle material, then with a custom-made wooden box.
Should you have the desire to see this or other works in person, we would be happy to welcome you to our gallery in Riva del Garda, Viale Giuseppe Canella 18, we are always open by appointment only.
