Herod and Herodias is a fine, early impression of a rare example of his Lucas van Leyden's large woodcuts before damage to the block resulted in losses to the image.

The subject depicts Herod and Herodias, rulers of Galilee in northern Palestine—whose marriage was censured by John the Baptist—seated at a table where Herodias’s daughter Salome offers John’s head on a platter to her stepfather. Through a window in the back, we can see an earlier scene in the narrative where an executioner raises his sword to behead the blindfolded saint. The sheet was part of a series called The Large Power of Women, a popular theme during the Renaissance intended to warn men about the wily ways of women who ultimately cause their downfall. Other images from the series include Adam and Eve, Samson and Delilah, and Virgil suspended in a basket.

from Calendar of Events, Spring 2020