Keywords: François de Nomé - Head of Saint John the Baptist Presented to Salome - Walters 37329.jpg These scenes from earliest Christian history are set amid fantasy architecture mysteriously lit under dark skies The small scale of the figures makes the buildings seem enormous De Nomé has imagined ancient streetscapes of Athens and Jerusalem as lined with sculpture and rich architectural ornament In the scene of St Paul preaching Walters 37 328 a circular pagan temple stands next to a lavish entrance to a synagogue with a statue of Moses at the left that appears to be adapted from the famous Well of Moses of 1395-1404 by Claus Sluter in Dijon De Nomé's mixture of classical and late medieval Gothic elements from his homeland adds to the uniqueness and eccentricity of the compositions The small size of the copper plates and the complexity of the compositions call attention to the artist's virtuosity and skill Zeri Italian paintings in the Walters Art Gallery 343 466-467 ca 1620 1624 Baroque oil on copper Painted surface cm 18 9 24 accession number 37 329 23519 Don Marcello Massarenti Collection Rome date and mode of acquisition unknown 1897 catalogue no 863 as Flemish Henry Walters city Baltimore Walters Art Museum Henry Walters Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection 1902 Transcription Inscribed on Saint John the Baptist lower center S MATHEO CAP XIIII; Translation Gospel of St Matthew Chapter 14 An Exhibition of the Treasures of The Walters Art Gallery The Walters Art Museum Baltimore; Pace Wildenstein Gallery New York; Smith College Museum of Art Northampton 1967 The Fantastic Visions of Monsù Desiderio The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Sarasota 1950 Scenes and Spectacles The Theatre-World of the Baroque Paul Klapper Library Flushing 1962 World of Wonder The Walters Art Gallery Baltimore 1971-1972 François de Nomé Theatre of Light and Destruction The Menil Collection Houston 1991-1992 place of origin Naples Italy Walters Art Museum license 2D Baroque paintings in the Walters Art Museum François de Nomé French paintings in the Walters Art Museum 1620s paintings from France Oil on copper 1620s paintings in the United States Salome with the head of John the Baptist |