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Source Description
The Utrecht artist Nicolaes Knupfer was known for depicting powerful women who outsmarted or overpowered men. This drawing, probably a study for a painting, depicts the New Testament story of Salome, who was granted a wish by King Herod after dancing for him. Encouraged by her mother, Herodias, Salome asked for the head of John the Baptist, against whom Herodias bore a grudge for objecting to her marriage to the king. The scene shows the theatrical moment after the beheading, when a stoic Salome holds a salver to receive the head.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
329328
label
Salome with the Head of John the Baptist
core
obj
dtoType
drawing
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
329328
contentType
drawing
title
Salome with the Head of John the Baptist
description
The Utrecht artist Nicolaes Knupfer was known for depicting powerful women who outsmarted or overpowered men. This drawing, probably a study for a painting, depicts the New Testament story of Salome, who was granted a wish by King Herod after dancing for him. Encouraged by her mother, Herodias, Salome asked for the head of John the Baptist, against whom Herodias bore a grudge for objecting to her marriage to the king. The scene shows the theatrical moment after the beheading, when a stoic Salome holds a salver to receive the head.
date
c. 1650
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79876018
creators
329325
genreSpecific
Drawing
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Support: 50.3 x 38.7 cm (19 13/16 x 15 1/4 in.); Matted: 53 x 39.5 x 0.6 cm (20 7/8 x 15 9/16 x 1/4 in.); Image: 33.5 x 27.8 cm (13 3/16 x 10 15/16 in.)
cul
Netherlands
accession
2019.8
Source extras
tec
pen and brown ink, brown washes and white heightening (oxidized), over black chalk on antique laid paper; framing lines in pen and brown ink
tombstone
Salome with the Head of John the Baptist, c. 1650. Nicolaus Knupfer (Dutch, 1603–1655). Pen and brown ink, brown washes and white heightening (oxidized), over black chalk on antique laid paper; framing lines in pen and brown ink; support: 50.3 x 38.7 cm (19 13/16 x 15 1/4 in.); matted: 53 x 39.5 x 0.6 cm (20 7/8 x 15 9/16 x 1/4 in.); image: 33.5 x 27.8 cm (13 3/16 x 10 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 2019.8
collection
DR - Dutch
didYouKnow
The stoic Salome in this drawing awaits the head of John the Baptist so that she can deliver it to King Herod on a salver.
citations
citation
Saxton, Jo, and Nicolaus Knupfer. Nicolaus Knupfer, an Original Artist: Monograph and Catalogue Raisonné of Paintings and Drawings. Doornspijk, Netherlands: Davaco, 2005.
creditline
John L. Severance Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:56:33.160000
sourceId
329328
dept
Drawings
coll
DR - Dutch
med
pen and brown ink, brown washes and white heightening (oxidized), over black chalk on antique laid paper; framing lines in pen and brown ink
creatorTags
male
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
ec5a5f03e33b10cc