Who painted Herodias?

Herodias was painted by William Walcot in 1928.

Where can I see Herodias?

Herodias is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

Artwork

Herodias

William Walcot , 1928

Herodias is a print by William Walcot. It dates from 1928 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1928 by British architect‑artist William Walcot, Herodias is a print in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work presents a composition of elongated, slender figures intertwined within a network of fluid, swirling lines that suggest movement and tension. The overall effect is one of instability, as the forms appear to dissolve into the surrounding scribbled background.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure stands with arms extended, surrounded by other bodies that clutch objects resembling a crown and a shield. The half‑rendered faces and the ambiguous gestures hint at a narrative of power and vulnerability, evoking the biblical Herodias story while remaining deliberately open to interpretation.

Technique & Style

Walcot employs dense black line work, combining bold strokes with smudged, hazy areas that blur the edges of the figures. The unfinished, almost ghost‑like treatment of the faces reinforces a sense of ephemerality. The print’s dynamic line quality aligns with the modernist interest in abstraction and expressive drawing of the late 1920s.

History & Provenance

Since its creation, the print has remained in the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s early 20th‑century print collection. Its acquisition reflects the institution’s commitment to representing the experimental graphic practices of the interwar period.