1556

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In this painting, John the Baptist, already beheaded, is depicted in the center of the composition. His lifeless body lies on a wooden trunk while the executioner, with a determined gaze, presents John the Baptist’s head on a silver plate, which is being held by a woman with a serene, almost indifferent expression, contrasting with the disbelief expressed by the others around the painting. The focus of the composition is on the central scene of the beheading, where the characters appear confident in their actions, juxtaposed against the frantic pace of the rest of the painting. The variety of positions and expressions of the surrounding characters creates a sense of urgency that indicates the act being committed should not be overlooked. The colors in the painting are quite flat, with little contrast, as the true drama is conveyed through the body language and composition of the characters, with the surrounding architecture helping to focus and enhance the central scene. The geometric shape and architectural elements resemble an amphitheater, suggesting that what is happening is a spectacle for those present.

2024

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«On a Silver Platter» is a contemporary piece based on the famous work by Pellegrino Tibaldi «Beheading of St. John the Baptist». The image incorporates a cubist style with modern elements and characters, as well as providing a new meaning to the scene. This work represents a relevant social situation related to the bystander effect, its composition is chaotic, however, two scenes can be differentiated. The one in the centre is where the action is ocurring, the rest of the space is filled with a peaceful, almost indifferent, vibe.

The Idea behind the Art: When starting this exercise, a decision had to be made about the statement to be given by the image.

After analysing the original work and its meaning an idea became clear. The contrast in the original work between the two settings was interesting, on one hand, the central scene depicts the violent action that is a beheading with an almost uninterested atmosphere, whereas the outrage or concern is expressed through the figures around the centre of the composition. For this new work, the roles were to be reversed, the audience is indifferent to the events taking place in front of them, only select figures pay attention to the action, however, it is for the sole purpose of getting the better shot. The task of portraying the horror of what is going on falls entirely on the centre figures.

Conclusion: The objective of this new image is to bring light into a recurring situation seen nowadays, social media and exposure online has taken on a heavier role in society and with it the notion that everything has to be documented. People prioritize getting good content rather than experiencing the situation at hand, or in the case represented in this work, helping out. It is constantly seen in media, how people will film a fight instead of breaking it out or share a post about a problem instead of actively helping the cause. We can see it with the conflict in Palestine, social media is flooded with posts and videos of the situation, however, 90% of the people behind those posts believe that to be enough under the pretense of «giving the problem a platform» or «bringing attention to the conflict» and don’t do anything proactive to help.

The composition and elements of this artwork try to express this problem by creating the contrast between the two scenarios taking place in the image. The audience is not interested in what is happening before them, figures can be seen leisurely talking and others simply observing the events unfold. The beheading in the centre is almost a spectacle for them,they don’t feel the need to intervene as someone else surely will (bystander effect). The title for the artwork is also linked to its meaning, «On a Silver Platter» refers to the fact that we are handed the resources to help on a silver platter most of the time, unfortunately, most don’t do anything about it.