Titian Vecellio (Pieve di Cadore, 1490 - Venice, 1576) Follower/Workshop
Salome with the Head of the Baptist
Oil on canvas
116 x 99 cm. - In an antique frame 144 x 121 cm.
Full details of the painting (click HERE)
The work on offer is inspired by the splendid painting by Titian Vecellio, 'Salome with the Head of the Baptist', now housed at the Prado Museum in Madrid, a masterpiece of the Veronese master's maturity created around 1550.
The beautiful Jewish princess Salome, daughter of Herodias and Herod Philip I, occupies the center of the table, portrayed with the features of a typical Renaissance Venetian beauty, with sumptuous 16th-century clothing, including a red damask gown with wide white sleeves that emphasize her sensuality and movement.
She triumphantly holds a silver platter, on which rests the severed head of Saint John the Baptist, illustrating a biblical passage from Matthew (14:1-11) and Mark (6:22-28). According to the biblical narrative, Salome received the head as a reward from King Herod, who was captivated by the dance the young woman performed in his honor, at the instigation of her mother Herodias.
The compositional choice to direct Salome's mesmerizing gaze directly at us, the viewers of the painting, is beautiful, leaving us captivated by her sweetness and detachment from the episode in which she was the protagonist: this stylistic choice transforms the biblical scene into a direct psychological encounter with the observer, involving them emotionally.
Returning to our painting, it is a valuable work, in a good state of conservation, created by a follower or plausibly by a painter from Titian Vecellio's own workshop.
The composition is very interesting: it is not a simple replica of a known painting by the master, but rather a combination of sources of inspiration. Specifically, the figure of Salome refers to the famous painting that Titian created around 1550 and which is now in the Prado Museum in Madrid (Ref.1), while the figures of the two handmaidens accompanying the protagonist are two figures depicted in the most typical Titianesque style.
In particular, both the woman in profile on the left and the one with her gaze turned upwards, are based on other female figures created by Titian: we can find them, almost identically, in works like The Allegory of Love (Titian, Wawel Royal Castle Collection, Krakow - Ref.2), where both female prototypes appear, or in The Allegory of Spain Aiding Religion (Titian, Prado Museum, Madrid - Ref.3).
The success of this composition is evident in the numerous replicas and versions of varying quality from Titian's workshop, often reinterpreted in a secular manner, substituting the Baptist's head with other decorative elements: for example, in the 'Portrait of a Woman with a Fruit Platter' (Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen, Berlin, - Ref.4), and in the 'Portrait of a Young Woman with Fruit' (Private Collection, Vienna, - Ref.5), both works where the Baptist's head has been replaced by fruit compositions, and the same applies to the Portrait of a Young Woman with a Casket (Sotheby's, London, May 12, 1976, no. 97, - Ref.6).
Ref.1 Titian, Salome with the Head of the Baptist, 1550, Madrid, Prado
https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/salome/0f359b90-2055-4326-bbbe-775dbfa7c504
Ref 2. Titian, Allegory of Love (Wawel Royal Castle Collection, Krakow)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Titian_-_Allegory_of_Love.jpg
Ref.3 Titian, Allegory of Spain Aiding Religion (Titian, Prado Museum, Madrid)
https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/opera/43645/
Ref.4 Titian, Portrait of a Woman with a Fruit Platter (Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen, Berlin)
https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/opera/45109/
Ref.5 Titian, Portrait of a Young Woman with Fruit (Private Collection, Vienna)
https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/opera/41936/
Ref.6 Titian, Portrait of a Young Woman with a Casket (Sotheby's, London, May 12, 1976, no. 97)
https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/opera/43491/
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The artwork comes with an antique frame which has undergone restorations and is sold with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.
We handle and organize the transportation of purchased artworks, both within Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.
It is also possible to view the painting at our gallery in Riva del Garda; we would be delighted to welcome you to show you our collection of works.
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