The Execution of Saint John the Baptist 1765 - 1775

Curator: Ubaldo Gandolfi, working sometime between 1765 and 1775, rendered this dramatic scene in oil paint, titled "The Execution of Saint John the Baptist." It's currently residing here at the Met. Editor: Whoa. Talk about intense! Right away, it's the raw brutality that hits you. That executioner looks ripped. And God looking down from the heavens makes me think the artist questions such cruelty? Curator: I find it insightful to consider Gandolfi's "Execution" within the historical context of 18th-century power dynamics and the role of the church. Consider the narratives of resistance to religious authority being visualized and the martyrdom. How do social discourses impact visual representations of power? Editor: You know, looking closer, I'm struck by the contrast—all this fleshy, grounded violence below, then the swirl of angels and the figure of God in the heavens, all light and airy. It's almost theatrical, right? Makes you wonder if it's just condemning the act or somehow glorifying the saint through his suffering? Like a bizarre kind of celebrity? Curator: Exactly. And let's consider how Gandolfi uses the conventions of baroque painting to frame this execution within larger socio-political struggles. The performative nature of justice— who benefits from a spectacle of violent power and whose voices are being suppressed by the event? Editor: Huh. You've given me a lot to ponder. For me, It is just… heavy. All this weight in one spot. Curator: Indeed. Reflecting on Gandolfi, it reminds me of the power art has to not just depict history, but also challenge us to confront the enduring legacies of power and resistance. Editor: Totally! Seeing this with fresh eyes now – art like this just rattles the cage. Really makes you wonder how far we've come and whether any of us truly free ourselves from these vicious cycles.