Head of John the Baptist

At the request of his stepdaughter Salome, Herod ordered the beheading of John the Baptist. She was given his head on a platter. This macabre theme – often called Johannes in disco (John on a plate) – is represented here. The platter, however, is missing. The deathly pale alabaster, the open mouth and tongue and the deep-set eye sockets reinforce the harsh realism.

Artwork typeJohannesschotel
Object numberBK-1998-1
Dimensionsweight 13.4 kg, height 26.7 cm x width 21 cm
Physical characteristicsalbast

Identification

Title(s)
Head of St John the Baptist
Object type
Object number
BK-1998-1
Description
Een hoofd van Johannes de Doper, van albast, met geloken ogen en opengevallen mond; behorend bij een Johannesschotel.
Part of catalogue
Catalogue reference
- Documentatiemap BK
- 'Recent acquisitions at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam', The Burlington Magazine (November 2000), p. 730 met afb. IV.
- Theo Schoemaker, 'Een hoofd van Johannes de Doper', Rijksmuseum Kunstkrant, 24 (1998) juli-augustus, p.20, afb. p. 21.
- Hoofd van Johannes de Doper laatste kwart 15e eeuw, in: Jaarverslag 1997 Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, p. 30, afb. p. 31.

Creation

Dating
c. 1500 - c. 1560

Material and technique

Physical description
albast
Material
Dimensions
- weight 13.4 kg
- height 26.7 cm x width 21 cm

This work is about

Subject

Exhibitions

Acquisition and rights

Credit line
Purchased with the support of the Rijksmuseum Fonds
Copyright
Public domain
Provenance
…; collection Leopold Blumka (1898-1973), New York, date unknown:{Written communication Anthony Blumka, New York, 21 May 1998.} his wife, Ruth Blumka (1920-1994), New York, 1973; sale, collection Blumka, New York (Sotheby´s), 9-10 January 1996, no. 82, $118,000, to the dealer Daniel Katz, London; from whom, on loan to the museum, 1997-March 1998;{Note RMA.} from whom, £120,000 (fl. 392,760), to the museum, with the support of the Rijksmuseum Fonds, March 1998

Documentation

- Documentatiemap BK
- 'Recent acquisitions at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam', The Burlington Magazine (November 2000), p. 730 met afb. IV.
- Theo Schoemaker, 'Een hoofd van Johannes de Doper', Rijksmuseum Kunstkrant, 24 (1998) juli-augustus, p.20, afb. p. 21.
- Hoofd van Johannes de Doper laatste kwart 15e eeuw, in: Jaarverslag 1997 Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, p. 30, afb. p. 31.

Persistent URL

To refer to this object, please use the following persistent URL:
https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/20020139