Wilhelm Volz (1855–1901) was a German artist whose work I might not have paid any attention to at all had this lithograph not been featured in that cult volume Dreamers of Decadence. As a composition it’s a lot more interesting than Volz’s paintings, the circle for a halo being an unusual detail. There’s also more of an atmosphere of horror in this representation than one usually finds with the Salomé theme. The temptress doesn’t seem very enamored of her trophy, and John the Baptist’s head for once bears a suitable expression of horror. Volz’s print was published in Pan magazine in 1896, the entire edition of which may be viewed here.
Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The Salomé archive
Is it just me, or does Salome’s face bear a resemblance to a certain Oscar Wilde?
Yes, she does look rather Wildean. That may be more to do with the heavy German females who appear in so much art of this period than with poor Oscar.