Artist : Marcelle Hanselaar
Title : Beauty and the Beasts, Salome
Medium : etching / aquatint, ed 30
Dimensions : 38 x 43 cm, plate size 20 x 25 cm


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Herod Antipas had imprisoned John the Baptist for condemning his marriage to Herodias, the divorced wife of his half brother, but Herod was afraid to have the popular prophet killed. After Salome danced before Herod and his guests at a festival, he promised to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, who was infuriated by John’s condemnation of her marriage, the girl demanded the head of John the Baptist on a platter, and the unwilling Herod was forced by his oath to have John beheaded. Salome took the platter with John’s head and gave it to her mother.