Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist

c. 1639–42

Guido Reni was the most famous and successful Italian painter of his day. This painting depicts Salome receiving the head of John the Baptist on a platter, the gruesome reward she chose for having pleased her stepfather, Herod, by performing a seductive dance. This episode from the New Testament had long been popular in Italian art thanks to its combination of religiosity, violence, and eroticism.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Guido Reni (Italian, 1575–1642)

Date

c. 1639–42

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

248.5 × 174 cm (97 3/4 × 68 1/2 in.); Framed: 285 × 210.2 × 8.9 cm (112 3/16 × 82 3/4 × 3 1/2 in.)

Origin

Italy

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Louise B. and Frank H. Woods Purchase Fund