The Execution of Saint John the Baptist 1765 - 1775

Ubaldo Gandolfi’s painting, *The Execution of Saint John the Baptist*, depicts the moment of John the Baptist’s death. Painted in the 18th century, the artwork uses a dramatic composition to highlight the moment. The scene is lit by a warm glow from the sky, where God and angels are depicted in the top half of the painting. A man in the foreground is about to behead John, who is positioned in the lower portion of the painting, with a chain around his body. Gandolfi uses naturalism and realism to create this powerful image. This painting, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, showcases Gandolfi’s ability to capture the pathos of a biblical moment with a dramatic flourish.