Artwork
The Dance of Salome
The Dance of Salome is an unspecified painting by the Early Renaissance artist Sano di Pietro. It dates from 1447 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1447, The Dance of Salome is an oil painting attributed to the Sienese artist Sano di Pietro. It is part of the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest. The work depicts a narrative scene set within an interior space, rendered with a balance of vivid foreground colors and a more muted background.
Subject & Meaning
She stands before a table draped with a white cloth, while a man in a yellow tunic and white head covering watches from behind.
The composition centers on a woman in a blue dress clutching a red tambourine, evoking the biblical figure of Salome. She stands before a table draped with a white cloth, while a man in a yellow tunic and white head covering watches from behind. A second male figure in a red robe is seated at the table, and a third, wearing a brown tunic, presents a platter bearing a severed head, alluding to the story of John the Baptist’s beheading.
Technique & Style
Sano di Pietro employs a clear delineation of forms, using bright, saturated pigments for the garments of the principal figures against a subdued green wall and architectural elements. The spatial arrangement suggests a shallow interior, with a doorway and column framing the scene, characteristic of mid‑15th‑century Sienese painting.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, where it remains on display. Its attribution to Sano di Pietro rests on stylistic parallels with other works by the artist, confirming its place within his late career.
Context
The work reflects the period’s interest in biblical narratives rendered for devotional or didactic purposes. The vivid coloration and narrative clarity align with the Sienese tradition of storytelling through art, while the inclusion of domestic interior details situates the biblical episode in a familiar setting for contemporary viewers.
Artist & collection
Artist
Sano di Pietro or Ansano di Pietro di Mencio (1405–1481) was an Italian painter of the Sienese school of painting.
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The Massacre of the Innocents
Virgin and Child Adored by Saints Mary Magdalene and Nicolas of Bari; Christ Crucified with the Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist
Madonna and Child with the Dead Christ, Saints Agnes and Catherine of Alexandria, and Two Angels
Madonna and Child; Saint John the Baptist; Saint Jerome
The Crucifixion
The Birth and Naming of Saint John the Baptist
The Adoration of the Magi
The Banquet of Ahasuerus
The Head of Saint John the Baptist Brought before Herod
The Feast of Herod and the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist
Salome Asking Herod for the Head of Saint John the Baptist
The Head of Saint John the Baptist Brought before Herod
Charity of St. Oswald
Susanna and the Elders in the Garden, and the Trial of Susanna before the Elders
Daniel Saving Susanna, the Judgment of Daniel, and the Execution of the Elders
Susanna and the Elders in the Garden, and the Trial of Susanna before the Elders
Payment of Salaries to the Night Watchmen in the Camera del Comune of Siena
The Assassination and Funeral of Julius Caesar
Episodes from the Lives of Mary Magdalen and Saint John the Baptist