“Feast of Herod”
This gilded bronze relief is by the Italian Renaissance master, Donatello, and is titled “Feast of Herod.” This detail from the baptismal font in the Siena Cathedral in Siena, Italy, dates to 1425-1429 and was commissioned by the city of Siena.
This is one of Donatello’s earliest relief sculptures that displays his advanced use of perspective. Donatello was inspired by Filippo Brunelleschi’s experiments with linear perspective. Rather than focusing on one single vanishing point, Donatello used a V as a vanishing point, to draw the viewer’s eye across the scene. A perspective element almost becomes required in art from the later Renaissance.
The scene depicts the head of St. John the Baptist being presented to Herod. It is based off the famous bible story where Herod, the 1st century ruler of Galilee, after being pleased by his daughter-in-law, Salome’s dancing, tells her he will give her anything she wants. Taking advice from her mother, Salome asks for the head of St. John the Baptist. Begrudgingly, Herod has St. John executed. You can see the disgust on his face as St. John’s head is served to him on a platter.
You can still see the “Feast of Herod” today at the baptismal font in the Siena Cathedral in Siena, Italy.
For more on Donatello, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
