Caravaggio's Salome

This Salome-painting is by the most important Italian Baroque painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610). Impressive and new are the light effects for which Caravaggio became famous.
But for us is the old women more interesting. She's probably Herodias the mother of Salome, who persuaded her daughter to demand the head of John the Baptist. She was the mastermind behind that campaign and is looking satisfied on the head of her adversary. In contrast Salome her daughter seems disgusted in some way.

Salome receives the Head of Saint John the Baptist (1607-10)