The painting depicts a joyful banquet at court: the guests are dressed in luxurious clothing, the table is laid, and music fills the air. Three musicians are playing wind instruments known as shawms. Only at second glance does a gruesome execution become visible in the lower right corner. The severed head of the victim is presented on a platter.

How do joy and suffering come together in this depiction? The painting, which once formed part of an altarpiece, illustrates the biblical story in which King Herod—urged on by his wife Herodias and his stepdaughter Salome—ordered the execution of John the Baptist. While the feast was still in progress, Salome appeared with the head of the Baptist to prove his death.