CRANACH, Lucas the Elder
(b. 1472, Kronach, d. 1553, Weimar)

The Feast of Herod (detail)

1533
Oil and tempera on limewood
Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt

Salome shows Herod the severed head of John the Baptist on a pewter dish. Her mother is depicted with a faint smile that shows how very pleased she is with this outcome. An old man seated on her side looks at the macabre scene with a mixture of surprise, terror and curiosity.