A Renaissance painting that was literally sawed in half nearly 90 years ago has finally been reunited at its original home. The artwork "Salome with the Head of John the Baptist," originally created by Lucas Cranach the Elder's workshop, was horizontally cut into two pieces in 1936 and sold separately, transforming what was once considered an ordinary religious painting into a fascinating piece of art history.
The two fragments of the painting are now on display together again at the Ducal Museum in Gotha, Germany, marking the first time in decades that visitors can see the complete work. Timo Trümper, Collection Director of the Friedenstein Foundation Gotha, presented the reunited artwork in the Old German Hall of the Ducal Museum, showcasing both fragments of what is now known as "The Sawed Salome."
The painting's unique story began in 1936 when it was deliberately cut horizontally through the middle and sold as separate pieces. This dramatic intervention was not an act of vandalism but rather a calculated decision that paradoxically increased the artwork's value and significance. The upper portion of the painting, showing Salome herself, was separated from the lower section depicting the platter containing John the Baptist's severed head.
Trümper explained that some artworks actually gain value when they are destroyed or altered, a concept that predates modern artists like Banksy who famously shredded one of his own paintings at auction. The deliberate destruction of the Salome painting created a compelling narrative that elevated what had been considered a relatively common religious subject matter into a noteworthy piece with its own dramatic backstory.
The reunion of these fragments represents more than just a restoration project; it's a homecoming for a work that has become emblematic of how art's value can be transformed by its history. The painting's journey from a complete Renaissance work to separated fragments and back to a unified display reflects the complex relationship between art, commerce, and cultural heritage. Visitors to the Ducal Museum can now witness this remarkable story firsthand, seeing how the two pieces fit together to recreate the original composition that Cranach's workshop intended centuries ago.
