Dec 09 2009

Salomé

Published by Samantha under Michelangelo's First Painting

Henri Regnault Salome 1870

Painted by Regnault, Salomé is a depiction of an unnamed female figure in the Bible that is often considered a dangerous seductress. The daughter of Herod Antipas – governor of Judea – she is infamous for the execution of John the Baptist, which the dagger and silver platter on her lap serve as a reference to. Most interestingly, this painting was originally of an African woman. Then Regnault expanded the painting at the bottom and the right and decided to use an Italian model. Out of all the paintings at the Met, this one spoke to me for its tranquility. Using oil paint, he created a beautiful, natural, dreamy colors. It resonates like an intimate picture of a lover despite Regnault’s juxtaposition of femininity and violence.

2 responses so far




2 Responses to “Salomé”

  1.   # Ason 13 Dec 2009 at 1:52 am

    Michelangelo’s painting looked cooler than this. And there was a lot of detail to it. While Samantha mentions the look of this one, I don’t know enough about the details of the work to say I think it’s better than Michelangelo’s.

  2.   # Zerxis Presson 10 Dec 2009 at 6:01 pm

    Did you prefer this one to Michelangelo’s painting?