From the fifteenth century, the head of Saint John the Baptist on a dish was a common theme in Netherlandish painting. Its popularity lasted until the seventeenth century, when this work was probably made. The image is associated with the cult of relics and of Saint John the Baptist as the forerunner of Christ. His death is recounted in the Gospels as instigated by Herodias, after he criticised her marriage to Herod, her former brother-in-law. Representations of the beheading usually include the figure of Herodias’s daughter Salome, who requested the Saint’s head on a dish.

Provenance: bequeathed by the Founders, 1885

Object description
Type: Easel painting
Location: Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham
Material: Tempera on panel
Artist: Dieric Bouts the elder (c.1415–1475) (after)
Date: early 17th C

Image Details
Date: 7 Feb 2025
Camera body: iPhone Xs
Lens: Wide Camera 26mm ƒ/1.8
Focal Length: 26mm
Aperture: ƒ/1.8
Shutter Speed: 1/20s
ISO: 640
Licensing: Image of a Bowes Museum asset. This image cannot be licensed.