My search for history’s finest depictions of severed heads continues in Kansas City. The Nelson-Atkins only has two severed head paintings on display, although they do have many sculptures that are either missing their heads, or are simply bodiless heads, but those don’t count, of course. Unless they depict a severing or a severed head itself, they don’t make the grade.
Hendrick Trebrugghen – The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, oil on canvas, 1620′s (label) – This painting is all that remains of a larger work, so the composition is artificial. I’ve seen/shot a fair number of images of Saint John the Baptist’s beheading, and this one seems particularly constrained and calm. I think it’s the short, military sword wielded by the executioner, which is simultaneously radiates a sense of praticality of arms and drools thick arterial blood carelessly is what makes the scene seem so motionless, like a snapshot. John’s body, supported by a secondary character, remains kneeling, almost as if it still retained some life, despite the greenish pallor of his bare and dirty feet. Salome, residing in the missing portion of the painting, is unseen in this composition, except for her arm which holds out a platter, awating the deposit of the Saint’s head.
Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (Il Guercino) – David With the Head of Goliath, fresco, ca. 1618 (label) – This fresco comes across a little primitive or “sketchy” in person, and the label says that Il Guernico might have doing it as an exercise in mastering the technique of fresco. This painting seems a little primitive and it has confusing depth, so I find it hard to tell if David is being cast as exceptionally small, or if Goliath is simply portrayed as fantastically large. I’ll presume that’s Goliath’s collossal sword that David has used to rather roughly remove the head of Goliath, leaving us with the image of a rather angelic young man astride a pile of gore. The scale of the sword seems to draw all attention and to be what creates all the drama in this painting – it’s either absurd or the manifestation of the degree of unlikelyness in David’s victory.
Technorati Tags: Saint John the Baptist, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, Hendrick Trebrugghen, painting, fresco, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, beheading, severed head, biblical, art, Il Guernico, Giovannin Francesco Barbieri, David With the Head of Goliath, David and Goliath, David, Goliath
The title of your post got me all excited thinking you were gonna blog about that late 80′s Aussie industrial band on Nettwerk. Maybe next time?
Possibly. I own the full Severed Heads discography on vinyl.
I was just at Amoeba the other day and they’ve moved Severed Heads out of the industrial section and into rock, probably because the only crap of theirs Amoeba can get is their later stuff, which is definitely more electro-pop than industrial. It was kind of sad, though.
That is hilarious. i frequently go to the Nelson. Which exhibit is it in?
I honestly can’t recall. It’s been too long since I visited the N-A.
[...] Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (Il Guercino) – David With the Head of Goliath – Nelson-Atkins Museum Image by Marshall Astor – Food Pornographer My severed head spiel about this painting is here. [...]
[...] Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (Il Guercino) – David With the Head of Goliath – Nelson-Atkins Museum – label Image by Marshall Astor – Food Pornographer My severed head spiel about this painting is here. [...]