The Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist 1514 - 1515

Bernard van Orley painted ‘The Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist’ at an unknown date, and it now resides at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. At first glance, the eye is drawn to the stark horizontal division of the composition. Below, the lifeless body of John, starkly illuminated, contrasts with the shadowed figures in the background. The artist uses the architecture to frame a narrative that unfolds with a sense of theater. The formal arrangement here is far from accidental; it serves to structure the story's moral dimensions. The beheading occurs in the foreground with great detail, while the reason for his execution takes place in the background. Van Orley juxtaposes the gruesome act with an elegant, almost indifferent courtly scene in the background. It is as if Van Orley is presenting two realities, the brutal and the refined, each commenting on the other. Notice also the almost ornamental rendering of the executioner’s clothing versus the brutal act he is carrying out. It serves to highlight the unsettling contrast that invites reflection on the nature of justice, power, and morality.