The story behind the painting
Judith Beheading Holofernes
Judith and her attendant hold Holofernes down while Judith uses a sword. Gentileschi makes the biblical action appear as a difficult physical struggle.
- Two women hold down an enemy general. The sword is already in.
- Sleeves rolled up. On her bracelet, some see Artemis, the painter's namesake.
- Her maid Abra pins him. Nobody just watches.
- The blood spurts far enough to stain Judith's own chest.
- Hard light, a black room. Nowhere to look but at them.
- Florence was shocked. The duke died before paying; Galileo got her the money.
Judith Beheading Holofernes is a painting by Artemisia Gentileschi from about 1620 in which Judith and her maid hold the Assyrian general Holofernes down on his bed while Judith cuts into his neck with a sword; it belongs to the Uffizi Galleries in Florence.
What does Judith Beheading Holofernes show?
Judith and her attendant hold Holofernes down while Judith uses a sword. Gentileschi makes the biblical action appear as a difficult physical struggle.
In the Book of Judith, the heroine enters the enemy commander’s camp to save her besieged people. The painting shows the violent turning point of that story.
Why did Artemisia paint Judith so violently?
Judith’s rolled sleeves and extended arms make the effort visible. Her body leans into the action rather than standing apart from it.
The attendant also uses both arms to restrain Holofernes. Gentileschi gives her an active role in the closely interlocked group.
The answer most often given begins in Rome. In 1611 the painter Agostino Tassi, an associate of her father's, raped Artemisia. At the seven-month trial that followed she was tortured; Tassi was found guilty and sentenced to hard labour or banishment from Rome, a punishment never enforced. The National Gallery in London notes that the visceral violence of her Judith paintings has frequently been read as Artemisia taking revenge in paint, while warning that the trial has sometimes overshadowed discussion of her art. The Uffizi adds a painter's context: she completed this canvas in Rome, where she could see Caravaggio's works again. (National Gallery, London)
How did Artemisia Gentileschi compose the scene?
White bedding catches the light beneath the bodies. Blood against the pale cloth makes the violence explicit rather than leaving it to suggestion.
The dark background removes most surrounding detail. Light and overlapping limbs concentrate attention on the three people and their shared struggle.
What happened when the painting reached Florence?
This version, painted around 1620, belongs to the Uffizi. It is distinct from Gentileschi’s other treatment of the subject in Naples.
Florence was not ready for it. The Uffizi says the fee had been agreed with Grand Duke Cosimo II de' Medici, who died in 1621, shortly after the canvas was finished. Artemisia collected her money only with great difficulty and the help of her friend Galileo Galilei. When the painting arrived, its raw naturalism provoked strong reactions, and it was denied the honour of being shown in the Gallery. Today it hangs in the Uffizi after all, in a room called Caravaggio and Artemisia. (Uffizi Galleries)
Look again at the women’s joined effort. Gentileschi makes the heroine’s determination visible through the weight and resistance of the bodies.
The details at a glance
Sources and further reading
- Judith Beheading Holofernes — Uffizi Galleries
- Artist biography: Artemisia Gentileschi (Wikipedia, English)
- Judith Beheading Holofernes (Wikipedia, English)