Salome en de beul met het hoofd van Johannes de Doper 1585 - 1640

Georges Lallemand created this etching of Salome and the executioner with the head of John the Baptist sometime in the late 16th or early 17th century. Lallemand, working in France, was part of a generation of artists whose careers coincided with the Wars of Religion, a period of intense social and political upheaval. The choice of this biblical subject is telling. In the story, Salome’s request for John's head is granted by King Herod, and this reflects anxieties around power, authority, and the consequences of unchecked violence. The composition directs our attention to the dynamics of the court, where we see how easily an individual's life can be manipulated. To understand Lallemand’s motivations better, one could research the printmaking industry of the period, its patronage networks, and its audiences. This would give us a clearer view of the role this image played in the social and political conversations of its time.