Salome

John Vassos’ illustrations accompany Oscar Wilde’s tragic play Salome, which retells the biblical story of the title character. In the play, Salome performs the seductive Dance of the Seven Veils for her stepfather, Herod Antipas, who is so captivated that he promises to grant her any wish. To Herod’s horror—and her mother Herodias’ satisfaction—Salome demands the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter. Though John is favored by Herod and under his protection, the king is unable to break his promise. Wilde originally wrote the play in French, and it was translated into English three years later.