Gentileschi Judith Beheading Holofernes
Artist: Artemisia Gentileschi (Italian b. 1593 d. 1651)
Date: 1620
Dimensions: 78.5 x 64”
Medium: oil on canvas
Current location: Gallerie degli Uffizi, Florence
Period: Baroque
Genre: history painting

Quick Notes:
  • Artemisia Gentileschi was taught to paint by her father, Orazio. He was a friend of
    Caravaggio, and both his style and that of his daughter were influenced by Caravaggio.
    The painting is set in an inky black background with dramatic lighting falling across the
    main action in the foreground.
  • Caravaggio had painted this same subject in a similar composition, but Artemisia adds
    urgency to scene by emphasizing the vertical axis.
  • In the story of Judith, the Jewish heroine, kills the Assyrian general Holofernes in his sleep.
    Artemisia borrowed the idea of adding a maidservant to the composition from
    Caravaggio.
  • It is popular among interpreters of Artemisia’s work to suggest that she favored the
    subject of Judith and Holofernes because she had been sexually assaulted as a young
    woman. While this psychological interpretation may have merit, Artemisia adopted many
    subjects that had been previously treated by Caravaggio and her father, Orazio. The
    popularity of the story would also have made paintings of this topic marketable, and
    Artemisia painted different versions of the story many times.

Suggested Compare-Contrast Target:
  • Caravaggio, Judith and Holofernes


Writing Prompts:
  • What function does Judith's maidservant serve in the composition?
  • Describe Gentileschi's use of light in this piece.


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