The Apparition by Gustave Moreau
A minor biblical tale was a source of fascination for generations of artists since the Renaissance. Perhaps because it entails sex, violence and intrigue. John the Bapist is a prophet who condemns King Herod for taking his brother’s wife to be his own. (This relationship might seem wrong but it gets worse!) The king, however, abstains from punishing him. The step-daughter performs in front of the king a seductive dance after which he vows to bring her anything she requests. The reponse was the head of the prophet on a platter. He obliges.
In the painting, we could see the scantily clad femme fatale standing before a vision of the severed head, dripping with blood. Only Salome sees and reacts to the vision.
The vision could be seen as preceding or following the murder. This might be the moment she’s making her murderous request following the dirty dance. The bewitched king is there watching her with his hands on his knees. Alternatively, we could see evidence that the beheading had already been done. The executioner is standing with his hands on the hilt of his sword. Salome, takes a step back, terrified by the horrible vision of her crime.
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