Not enough is currently known about the enormous production of what used to be called the ‘Vincian School of Milan’ comprising a vast corpus of Leonardesque painting, variously assigned to artists such as Marci d’Oggiono (c.1467-1524), Givonni Boltraffio (c.1466-1516), Cesare da Sesto (1477-1523) and Giampietrino. While deriving from what is believed to be a Luini composition, even though neither the Cleveland nor the Uffizi versions are themselves considered to be good enough to be from his hand, there is every possibility that this picture could originate from another Milanese hand of the time.

This composition was one of Luini’s most successful works, a theme which was also favoured by Andrea Solario. The moment in the story is the less often depicted one when the executioner presents the head of St. John the Baptist on a dish to Salome in preparation for its presentation to Herod and Herodias.

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