607
Gustave Moreau
French
1826-1898
The Apparition
1876-77
oil on canvas
Seduced by the erotic dancing of his stepdaughter, Salome, the biblical ruler Herod Antipas promised to grant her a wish. Salome demanded the head of the prophet John the Baptist, who had resisted her advances. Here the severed head, with a cascade of blood, stares from mid-air at the bejeweled and scantily clad princess, who points to her trophy. By placing the figure of the radiant head of the ascetic, Moreau depicted a psychologically and narratively ambiguous scene. Has the henchman standing to the right of the exotic stage just executed the order, or is the suspended head a symbol of the girls desire?
607
Gustave Moreau
French
1826-1898
The Apparition
1876-77
oil on canvas
Seduced by the erotic dancing of his stepdaughter, Salome, the biblical ruler Herod Antipas promised to grant her a wish. Salome demanded the head of the prophet John the Baptist, who had resisted her advances. Here the severed head, with a cascade of blood, stares from mid-air at the bejeweled and scantily clad princess, who points to her trophy. By placing the figure of the radiant head of the ascetic, Moreau depicted a psychologically and narratively ambiguous scene. Has the henchman standing to the right of the exotic stage just executed the order, or is the suspended head a symbol of the girls desire?