The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist
The head of the martyred saint is handed over to Salome by the executioner as a crowd looks on. The scene of Saint John the Baptist's beheading occupies only the lower third of the image. For Altdorfer, the architecture and surroundings were clearly just as important as the figures. The composition is a study in perspective, with even the onlookers arranged in a diagonal line that leads to a point just above Salome's head.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist
- Artist: Albrecht Altdorfer (German, Regensburg ca. 1480–1538 Regensburg)
- Date: 1512
- Medium: Woodcut
- Dimensions: Sheet: 8 1/16 × 6 1/8 in. (20.5 × 15.6 cm)
- Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1927
- Object Number: 27.54.1
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.