The Dance of Salome c. 1540

This painted roundel, “The Dance of Salome,” was created with silver stain and enamel paint on glass by an anonymous artist. It depicts a biblical story that was very popular in European art from the medieval period onward. The image references the story of Salome, who danced for King Herod and, at her mother's request, demanded the head of John the Baptist as payment. You will find the depiction of elaborate banquets and classical architecture with its golden columns, arches, and sculptural details across art made in Europe during the Renaissance. The Rijksmuseum provides resources, from object labels to scholarly publications, through which we can contextualize this artwork and understand how the politics of imagery and the social conditions that shaped artistic production contribute to its meaning. Looking into the history of glassmaking in the Netherlands during this period would reveal a very interesting insight into this object’s origins.