In a seated interview with Art Historian, Andrew Graham-Dixon and Co-Chairman of Old Master Paintings and Drawings, George Gordon, learn how Sir Peter Paul Rubens cements himself as one of the greatest 16th century painters. This January, Sotheby’s will be selling this shocking and masterfully composed Head of Saint John the Baptist presented to Salome. This piece is undoubtedly graphic yet, Rubens masterfully illustrates distinct expressions of the characters to complete this captivating scene. The inscrutable countenance of the old woman who meets the calm gaze of the woman dressed in red and gold, portray the individualistic experiences that come with witnessing death. It is hardly surprising that Rubens should choose the Head of Saint John the Baptist as the theme of one of his first paintings after his return to Antwerp. The subject was part of a long-established artistic canon and had been treated by painters from the Renaissance on. This Rubens Masterpiece along with others of the Fisch Davidson Collection will be offered at Sotheby’s New York on 26 January.
Dramatic, Violent, and Bold: A Hallmark of Sir Peter Paul Rubens
New York | 26 January
