Artwork
Justice of Emperor Otto III: The Beheading of the Innocent
Justice of Emperor Otto III: The Beheading of the Innocent is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Dieric Bouts. It dates from 1475 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
About this work
Overview
Justice of Emperor Otto III: The Beheading of the Innocent is a painting by Dieric Bouts, created in 1475 using oil paint. It is a representative work of the Northern Renaissance.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a scene of judicial execution under Emperor Otto III, showing a beheading with onlookers, including a woman in red and a man in brown, against a castle backdrop.
Technique & Style
Bouts employed linear perspective, a technique uncommon in Northern painting at the time, and chiaroscuro to create depth and drama. The artist's attention to detail is evident in the clothing and facial expressions.
History & Provenance
The painting is now held in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, a testament to Bouts' skill.
Artist & collection
Artist
Dieric Bouts (born c. 1415 – 6 May 1475) was an Early Netherlandish painter. Bouts may have studied under Rogier van der Weyden, and his work was influenced by van der Weyden and Jan van Eyck. He worked in Leuven from…
Museum
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Continue through works from the same source collection.
The Arrest of Saint John the Baptist
Die Dornenkrönung Christi
Christ before Pilate
Saint Francis Renouncing the World for the Cloister
Pontius Pilate Washing his Hands
The Marriage of the Virgin, with the Expulsion of Saint Joachim from the Temple, the Angel Appearing to Saint Joachim, the Meeting at the Golden Gate, the Birth of the Virgin, and the Presentation of the Virgin
Pope Sixtus II. bids farewell to St. Lawrence
The Raising of Lazarus
Judgement of Cambyses: The skinning of Sisamnes
The Enthronement of Saint Romold as Bishop of Dublin
The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist
Justice of Emperor Otto III: The Trial by Fire