3-016-113 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

The beheading of John the Baptist, 1625-1630. Plate 12 of series ' Esemplari per facilitar gli amatori del disegno' (Specimens to make drawing for enthusiasts easier) and corresponds to a booklet of thirteen, dedicated to Roberto Canonici. It depicts an ugly and brutal executioner - almost certainly influenced by earlier German 'Little Master' printmakers - holding up the head of St John the Baptist to the beautifully dressed, rather stiffly posed Salome, who holds a metal charger to accommodate it.