| Judith Slaying Holofernes | |
|---|---|
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| Artist | Artemisia Gentileschi |
| Year | c. 1612-1613 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 158.8 cm × 125.5 cm ((6' 6" X 5' 4") 78.33 in × 64.13 in) |
| Location | Museo Capodimonte, Naples |
Judith Slaying Holofernes is a painting by the Italian early Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi, completed in 1612-13 and now at the Museo Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.[1]
The picture is considered one of her iconic works. The canvas shows Judith beheading Holofernes. The subject takes an episode from the apocryphal Book of Judith in the Old Testament, which recounts the assassination of the Assyrian general Holofernes by the Israelite heroine Judith. The painting shows the moment when Judith, helped by her maidservant Abra, beheads the general after he has fallen asleep in a drunken stupor. She painted a second version now in the Uffizi, Florence, somewhere between 1613 and 1621.[2][3][4]
Early feminist critics interpreted the painting as a form of visual revenge following Gentileschi's rape by Agostino Tassi in 1611; similarly many other art historians see the painting in the context of her achievement in portraying strong women.[4]
- ^ Gardner, Helen; Kleiner, Fred; Mamiya, Christin (2013). Gardner's Art Through the Ages: A Global History 14th edition. Wadsworth. p. 683. ISBN 978-1-111-77152-2.
- ^ "Judith and Holofernes". Google Art Project.
- ^ Camara, Esperança. "Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes". Khan Academy.
- ^ a b Treves, Letizia. (2020). Artemisia. [S.l.]: National Gallery (London). p. 125. ISBN 978-1-85709-656-9. OCLC 1117638110.