Judith Slaying Holofernes: A Look into Baroque Paintings

Judith Slaying Holofernes, Artemisia Gentileschi (1620)

Many people are familiar with Caravaggio’s Judith Beheading Holofernes, but not many know about Artemisia Gentileschi’s version of the story, Judith Slaying Holofernes. The tale goes like this: a young widow, Judith, from the Jewish city of Bethulia, wished to save her people from Nebuchadnezzar’s army (Beheading Holofernes, Uffizi). She was invited into their camp under the pretense that she would give them information to ensure their victory. Holofernes, a general of the army, was captivated by Judith’s beauty and invited her to dine with him. After a few too many glasses of wine, Holofernes fell asleep on his bed, where Judith, with the help of her maid, Abra, cut off his head (Camara). 

Why is this piece of art important? Judith Slaying Holofernes was painted in a time when few women painters were recognized, let alone apprenticed. Gentileschi’s version of the story is much more brutal and human than Caravaggio’s. Her attention to detail, the expression on Judith’s face, and the blood spurting from Holofernes’s neck are much more enunciated than in her contemporary’s. Caravaggio portrays Judith as indifferent, albeit disgusted with what she’s doing, and he depicts Abra, Judith’s maidservant, as an old woman off to the side while Judith beheads the general. He even makes Judith distance herself from her actions, portraying her as dainty and unsure of her actions. Gentileschi, however, paints Judith and Abra directly in the action. Judith’s face is one of determination, the face of a woman who knows exactly what she’s doing. She also portrays Abra as helping Judith, not standing off to the side but holding down Holofernes as she brutally severs his head from his body. Pay attention to how Gentileschi portrays Judith as well. Judith is not a dainty, frail girl as she is in Caravaggio’s version; she’s a hardened woman overcome with grief and determined to save her people. Her brows are wrinkled slightly, and her knuckles are white as she steadies her hands on her sword and Holofernes’s head. Gentileschi’s use of tenebrism casts a haunting glow on the three figures. It accentuates the determination on Judith and Abra’s faces and starkly contrasts Holofernes’s confused, anguished expression. Gentileschi’s depiction of the beheading was also more realistic than Caravaggio’s. Where Caravaggio kept the blood and brutality minimalized to highlight his daintiness of Judith, Gentileschi takes a more naturalistic approach. The blood gushing from the wound and the white bedding dripping with crimson are two examples from this piece that are much more brutal and realistic than Caravaggio’s. 

Judith Beheading Holofernes, Caravaggio (1598-1602)

The comparison between Caravaggio’s and Gentileschi’s versions of the same story isn’t for nothing. Artemisia’s father and mentor, Orazio, was Caravaggio's old friend and follower. In her youth, Gentileschi would have frequently seen his depiction of the story and, according to Dr. Esperança Camara, would’ve “inspired, and perhaps even challenged, the young Artemisia.” 

This piece of art was also not unusual during this era of art history. During the Baroque period, most art commissioned was from the Catholic Church in response to the Protestant Reformation. The story of Judith beheading Holofernes is part of the Catholic Bible; however, this piece was not commissioned by the Church, as far as historians can tell. It’s not clear who the patron of this particular piece was. Still, Judith’s story was a semi-popular inspiration during the Renaissance, as seen in Caravaggio, Rubens, Rembrandt, Titan, and Giorgione’s versions. Not much else is known about Gentileschi’s Judith Slaying Holofernes, including the date it was created. Many speculate it was painted while she was in Rome, between 1612 and 1613, while a second version was thought to be painted between 1613 and 1621 in Naples.

Just like the Renaissance, the Baroque period was fascinated with the story of Judith. Another Baroque painter, Johann Liss, painted Judith in the Tent of Holofernes, depicting the aftermath of Judith and Abra's actions. As with Gentileschi's piece, Liss's depiction is more naturalistic than earlier Renaissance depictions. The stump of Holofernes's neck is fully shown to the viewer, and the details and realism explore most Baroque artists' fascination with the human body.

Artemisia Gentileschi's Judith Slaying Holofernes is an amazing example of the gradual shift from Renaissance to Baroque. She utilizes many techniques coined in the late Renaissance, like tenebrism and chiaroscuro, while also using key characteristics found in Baroque works, such as heightened realism and a sense of motion.

Works Cited:

Camara, Dr. Esperança. Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes, Smarthistory, 19 July 2015, smarthistory.org/gentileschi-judith-slaying-holofernes/.

“Judith Beheading Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi.” Uffizi Galleries, 22 Nov. 2023, www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/judith-beheading-holofernes#description.  

 

Straussman-Pflanzer, Eve. Violence and Virtue: Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith Slaying Holofernes, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 2013. ISBN 978-0-300-18679-6.