The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (Caravaggio)

Not to be confused with Salome with the Head of John the Baptist (Caravaggio, Madrid) or Salome with the Head of John the Baptist (Caravaggio, London).

The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist
ArtistCaravaggio
Year1608
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions370 cm × 520 cm (150 in × 200 in)
LocationSt. John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta

The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist is an oil painting by the Italian artist Caravaggio. Measuring 3.7 m by 5.2 m, it depicts the execution of John the Baptist. It is located in the Oratory of St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta.

According to Andrea Pomella in Caravaggio: An Artist through Images (2005), the work is widely considered to be Caravaggio's masterpiece as well as "one of the most important works in Western painting."[1] Jonathan Jones has described The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist as one of the ten greatest works of art of all time: "Death and human cruelty are laid bare by this masterpiece, as its scale and shadow daunt and possess the mind."[2]

  1. ^ Pomella, Andrea (2005). Caravaggio: an artist through images. ATS Italia Editrice. p. 106. ISBN 978-88-88536-62-0.
  2. ^ Jones, Jonathan (21 March 2014). "The 10 greatest works of art ever". The Guardian.