The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist

The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist by the Master of Miraflores, from his cycle devoted to the Baptist's life, depicts the culminating moment of John's martyrdom — Salome's request granted, Herod's executioner raising the sword. This subject occupied a significant place in late fifteenth-century Spanish religious painting, with John serving as a prefiguration of Christ's own martyrdom. The Master of Miraflores renders this court scene — Herod's banquet, Salome dancing, the execution at the gate — with the theatrical attention to narrative that characterizes his best work in the Hispano-Flemish tradition.

The composition likely shows the executioner with raised sword and John kneeling, with Salome and the platter visible. The master's Flemish-influenced technique renders court costumes, architectural interiors, and the drama of the imminent beheading with careful attention to texture and spatial staging.