“Beheading of Saint John the Baptist,” created by Caravaggio in 1608, is an oil painting on canvas that measures 361 x 520 cm. It belongs to the Baroque art movement, particularly the Tenebrism technique, which emphasizes stark contrast between light and dark. This religious painting is housed at St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta.
The artwork is a dramatic and intense depiction of the biblical scene of Saint John the Baptist’s beheading. The focal point of the painting is the executioner, captured in the act of decapitating Saint John, with the saint’s body sprawled on the ground and a red cloth draped over his lower torso. Surrounding the central figures are other characters engaged in the event: a woman leaning forward with a golden platter to receive the saint’s head, an elderly woman looking on in sorrow, and another male figure standing solemnly behind them. The background is cast in deep shadows, adhering to the Tenebrism style, with light meticulously illuminating the figures involved in this somber event. The use of lighting and the composition’s emotional intensity epitomize Caravaggio’s masterful ability to evoke a powerful narrative through his artwork.
