The altarpiece, intended for the altar of the Pesci family, was placed in an altarpiece that included four other squares, now dispersed, depicting the life of the saint. Malossus in this painting captures the moment that immediately precedes the beheading of the Baptist, who turns his gaze upwards, where an angel appears, boldly represented in foreshortening, showing him the crowns and holding the palm of martyrdom. The pathos is accentuated by the dark space, illuminated only by a glimpse of divine light, a torch and a lantern. The work, therefore, fits fully into the tradition of the nocturnal setting, which has in Antonio Campi its most illustrious representative from Cremona and an essential model for Caravaggio.