Salome
Artist
Robert Henri
(American, 1865-1929)
Date1909
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsImage: 77 1/2 x 37 in. (196.9 x 94 cm)
Frame: 80 3/4 × 40 1/2 × 2 1/4 in. (205.1 × 102.9 × 5.7 cm)
Frame: 80 3/4 × 40 1/2 × 2 1/4 in. (205.1 × 102.9 × 5.7 cm)
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineMuseum purchase, 1974
Object numberSN937
Henri was a major figure in early 20th-century American art, leading the group of artists known as the Ashcan School, who rejected prevailing styles in favor of an art that better reflected modern urban life. Though the story of Salome has a biblical origin—her dance for King Herod facilitated the demise of John the Baptist—in 1909 it had special currency, particularly in New York. The opera by Richard Strauss (based on the play by Oscar Wilde), controversial for its eroticized Dance of the Seven Veils, shocked audiences when it was staged at the Metropolitan Opera in 1907. By 1909, variety theaters were rife with provocative “Salome dancers”, considered scandalous by many. In choosing this notorious subject, Henri seems to issue a challenge to the conservative fine art world of his day. The Ringling’s painting was his second version of the subject.
On View
Not on viewCollections
