3-002-450 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Head of Saint John the Baptist Presented to Salome, c1620-1624. Scene from earliest Christian history set amid fantasy architecture, mysteriously lit under dark skies. The small scale of the figures makes the buildings seem enormous. De Nomé has imagined ancient streetscapes of Athens and Jerusalem as lined with sculpture and rich architectural ornament. De Nomé's mixture of classical and late medieval Gothic elements from his homeland adds to the uniqueness and eccentricity of his compositions. The small size of the copper plates and the complexity of the compositions call attention to the artist's virtuosity and skill.