The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist

1455–60

These six paintings illustrate scenes from the life of Saint John the Baptist. We see John enter the wilderness to live as a hermit, foretell Christ’s role as redeemer, be imprisoned, and finally be martyred at the request of Salomé, the step-daughter of King Herod. The artist, Giovanni di Paolo, represented figures multiple times to indicate their movement through highly imaginative and stylized settings.

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

Artist

Giovanni di Paolo (Italian, 1398–1482)

Date

1455–60

Medium

Tempera on panel

Dimensions

68.6 × 39.1 cm (27 × 15 3/8 in.); Framed: 82 × 53.4 × 7 cm (32 1/4 × 21 × 2 3/4 in.)

Origin

Italy

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson Collection