After nine decades of separation, two fragments of Lucas Cranach the Elder's painting "Salome with the Head of John the Baptist" have been reunited at the Ducal Museum in Gotha, Germany. The artwork was deliberately sawed in half in the 1930s by an art dealer who found the bloody depiction of the decapitated John the Baptist too disturbing for potential buyers.

The painting's dramatic history began in 1936 when the Friedenstein Foundation was forced to sell the work due to financial difficulties. The new owner, seeking to increase its commercial value, made a pragmatic but destructive decision. "The art dealer believed that the sight of this bleeding head would be unbearable for sensitive people," explained Timo Trümper, Collection Director of the Friedenstein Foundation. "He had it sawed into two parts to boost the sale value."

After the separation, the upper portion depicting Salome in festive dress and feather decorations was remarketed as "Sybille of Saxony," an Ernestine princess. As Trümper noted, "An Ernestine princess looks much better above the sofa than such a bloodthirsty story." The lower fragment, showing the severed head of John the Baptist on a platter, was eventually returned to Gotha, while the Salome portion disappeared into private collections.

The missing upper fragment was considered lost since 2012 until it unexpectedly surfaced in the French art market in 2024. The Friedenstein Foundation learned of the planned auction just in time and decided to participate in the bidding after unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with the owners beforehand. With financial support from the Gotha Cultural Foundation and private donors, they successfully secured the piece, though the exact purchase price remains undisclosed. The estimated value ranged between 80,000 and 120,000 euros.

Created around 1530 in Cranach's workshop, the painting had been part of the art collection at Friedenstein Castle since 1644, likely arriving as part of the dowry of Duchess Elisabeth Sophie of Altenburg (1619-1680). According to the foundation's statutes at the time, the sale of duplicates and supposedly "damaged" works was permitted, which allowed for the painting's sale in 1936.

Currently, both fragments are displayed one above the other in the Old German Hall of the Ducal Museum, the same location where the complete work was last seen in the 1930s. However, whether the pieces will be physically reunited remains undecided. "Even if we put both parts back together, we couldn't restore the painting to its original state," Trümper emphasized. "The cut will always be visible."

Restoration plans for the Salome portrait are scheduled for 2026, but several questions remain unanswered. Beyond the decision about physical reunification, experts must also address changes made to the background of the female portrait, which was likely lightened for commercial reasons. The lower fragment featuring John the Baptist's head was already restored and exhibited in 2015.

Gotha has become synonymous with art-related mysteries and recoveries. The city gained international attention six years ago when paintings stolen in a major 1979 art heist were finally returned to the Friedenstein Castle collection after lengthy negotiations. This latest reunion adds another chapter to the museum's remarkable history of recovering lost masterpieces and highlights the ongoing efforts to preserve and restore cultural heritage.