The Head of John the Baptist (Solari)

1507 painting by Andrea Solari

The Head of John the Baptist is a 1507 oil on poplar board painting by Andrea Solari, probably commissioned by cardinal Georges d'Amboise.

## Details

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Signed and dated at bottom right, the image depicts the severed head of John the Baptist on a charger plate in which is a reflection, probably of Solari himself.[1]

The frame bears a seemingly original Latin inscription evoking John the Baptist. It is now in the Louvre in Paris, to which it was given by Eugène Lecomte in 1868. From 4 December 2012 to 11 March 2013 it was part of the temporary exhibition "Renaissance" at Louvre-Lens under catalogue number 25.[2]

## References

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1. ^ (in French) "Base Atlas entry".
2. ^ (in French) Laura Angelucci, Françoise Barbe, etc. (préf. Henri Loyrette & Xavier Dectot), Renaissance : révolutions dans les arts en Europe, 1400-1530, Lens & Paris, Musée du Louvre-Lens & Somogy éditions d'art, novembre 2012, 360 p., 23 cm × 29 cm (ISBN 978-2-36838-000-0 et 978-2-7572-0577-8), p. 69.