Judith and her Maidservant (Gentileschi, Florence)

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Judith and her Maidservant
Judith
Gentileschi judith1.jpg
Judith and her Maidservant (Gentileschi, Florence)
Medium oil paint, canvas
Dimensions114 cm (45 in) × 93.5 cm (36.8 in)
Location Uffizi, Italy OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Coordinates 43°45′54″N11°15′00″E / 43.765°N 11.25°E / 43.765; 11.25 Coordinates: 43°45′54″N11°15′00″E / 43.765°N 11.25°E / 43.765; 11.25
Identifiers Bildindex der Kunst und Architektur ID: 20182659

Judith and her Maidservant is a c. 1615 painting [1] by the Italian baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi. The painting depicts Judith and her maidservant leaving the scene where they have just beheaded general Holofernes, whose head is in the basket carried by the maidservant. It hangs in the Pitti Palace, Florence. [2]

Contents

Description

The painting depicts the moments after the biblical heroine Judith has assassinated the general Holofernes, and is fleeing his tent with her servant Abra. [1]

The subject is one that Gentileschi portrayed several times during her career. She depicts the moment Judith assassinated Holofernes in two versions of the same scene: Judith Slaying Holofernes (Naples) and Judith Slaying Holofernes (Florence).

This portrayal of the moments following the assassination is based on an earlier work by the artist's father:

The dark setting of the scene is brightened by the red and gold tones in the fabrics - colors which Gentileschi used frequently during her time in Florence. [1] The use of deep colors and rich textures is characteristic of the Baroque period to which her work belongs. [3]

Her use of diagonal lines guides the viewer from the faces of the women to the head of Holofernes in the basket. She also uses intense contrast between dark and light to create three-dimensional volume.

The viewer is reminded of the violence which preceded this moment by the screaming head depicted on the pommel of the sword, thought to be a mythological figure such as Medusa. [4] The presence of fresh blood dripping from the basket the maidservant is carrying, which shows Holofernes's head in full view, also invokes the violence of the scene the two figures are leaving. The intense depiction of gore is also characteristic of Baroque painting, which, unlike previous artistic movements, did not shy away from bloody depictions of biblical scenes. [5]

Subject matter

The story of Judith and Holofernes is taken from the Book of Judith , a deuterocanonical book of the Bible that is included in the Septuagint, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Christian Old Testament of the Bible, but excluded from the Hebrew canon and assigned by Protestants to the Biblical apocrypha. [6] In the story, Holofernes, an Assyrian general, has come to besiege the biblical city of Bethulia, Judith's home. Judith, an Israelite widow, sneaks into Holofernes's tent when he is drunk and asleep, and she beheads him with the help of her maidservant, Abra, in order to save her city. [6] Judith and Abra carry Holofernes's head away in a basket, as depicted in the painting.

Judith's maidservant Abra is often depicted in paintings and representations as an elderly woman, [7] but in Gentileschi's depictions of the slaying of Holofernes, she is closer to the age of Judith.

History

The painting was first documented as being in the collection of Grand Duchess Maria Maddalena of Austria, [1] as part of a 1638 inventory. [8] The painting has been altered several times and was likely significantly larger when first created, particularly to the top and the left side of the canvas. The condition of the paint has also been adversely affected by historic conservation efforts. [9]

The work now hangs in the Galleria Palatina at the Pitta Palace in Florence, Italy.

See also

Related Research Articles

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The account of the beheading of Holofernes by Judith is given in the deuterocanonical Book of Judith, and is the subject of many paintings and sculptures from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. In the story, Judith, a beautiful widow, is able to enter the tent of Holofernes because of his desire for her. Holofernes was an Assyrian general who was about to destroy Judith's home, the city of Bethulia. Overcome with drink, he passes out and is decapitated by Judith; his head is taken away in a basket.

<i>Judith Slaying Holofernes</i> (Artemisia Gentileschi, Naples) 1612–13 painting by Artemisia Gentileschi

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. 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.

<i>Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting</i> 1630s painting by Artemisia Gentileschi

Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting, also known as Autoritratto in veste di Pittura or simply La Pittura, was painted by the Italian Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi. The oil-on-canvas painting measures 98.6 by 75.2 centimetres and was probably produced during Gentileschi's stay in England between 1638 and 1639. It was in the collection of Charles I and was returned to the Royal Collection at the Restoration (1660) and remains there. In 2015 it was put on display in the "Cumberland Gallery" in Hampton Court Palace.

Judith and Holofernes may refer to:

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Esther Before Ahasuerus is a painting by the 17th-century Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi. It shows the biblical heroine Esther going before Ahasuerus to beg him to spare her people. The painting is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, having been donated to the museum by Elinor Dorrance Ingersoll in 1969. It is one of Gentileschi's lesser known works, but her use of lighting, characterization, and style help in successfully portraying Esther as a biblical heroine as well as the main protagonist of the work.

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<i>Judith and Her Maidservant</i> (Detroit) Painting by Artemisia Gentileschi

Judith and Her Maidservant is one of four paintings by the Italian baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi that depicts the biblical story of Judith and Holofernes. This particular work, executed in about 1623 to 1625, now hangs in the Detroit Institute of Arts. The narrative is taken from the deuterocanonical Book of Judith, in which Judith seduces and then murders the general Holofernes. This precise moment illustrates the maidservant Abra wrapping the severed head in a bag, moments after the murder, while Judith keeps watch. The other three paintings are now shown in the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples, the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, and the Musée de la Castre in Cannes.

<i>Jael and Sisera</i> (Artemisia Gentileschi) Painting by Artemisia Gentileschi

Jael and Sisera is a painting by the Italian Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi, executed around 1620.

<i>Self-Portrait as a Female Martyr</i>

Self-Portrait as a Female Martyr, is also known as the Self-Portrait as a Martyr Saint. This painting was created by the Italian female artist, Artemisia Gentileschi. This self-portrait was made around 1615 depicting the artist herself as a martyr. It is one of two paintings by Gentileschi painted with oil on a wood panel. This self-portrait is currently in a private collection in the United States.

<i>Mary Magdalene</i> (Artemisia Gentileschi) 17th century painting

Pentinent Magdalene is a 1616–1618 painting by the Italian baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi. This painting belongs hangs in the Pitti Palace in Florence. The subject is the biblical figure Mary Magdalene, but the painting references another biblical woman, Mary, the sister of Lazarus. This painting was likely painted in Florence during Gentileschi's Florentine Period.

<i>Saint Catherine of Alexandria</i> (Artemisia Gentileschi) Painting by Artemisia Gentileschi

Saint Catherine of Alexandra is a painting by the Italian Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi. It is in the collection of the Uffizi, Florence. Gentileschi likely used the same cartoon or preparatory drawing to create both this painting and the Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria (1615–1617), now in the National Gallery, London.

<i>Judith and her Maidservant</i> (Gentileschi, Naples)

Judith and Her Maidservant is a painting by the Italian baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi. Executed sometime between 1645 and 1650, it hangs in the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples. The story comes from the deuterocanonical Book of Judith, in which Judith seduces and then assassinates the general Holofernes, who had besieged Judith's town. The exact moment depicted takes place after the murder when her maidservant places the severed head in a bag, while Judith checks around her.

<i>Judith and her Maidservant</i> (Gentileschi, Cannes)

Judith and Her Maidservant is a painting by the Italian baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi. Executed sometime between 1640 and 1645, it hangs in the Musée de la Castre in Cannes.

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<i>Judith Slaying Holofernes</i> (Artemisia Gentileschi, Florence) Painting by Artemisia Gentileschi

Judith Slaying Holofernes c. 1620, now at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, is the renowned painting by Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi depicting the assassination of Holofernes from the apocryphal Book of Judith. When compared to her earlier interpretation from Naples c. 1612, there are subtle but marked improvements to the composition and detailed elements of the work. These differences display the skill of a cultivated Baroque painter, with the adept use of chiaroscuro and realism to express the violent tension between Judith, Abra, and the dying Holofernes.

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<i>Judith and her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes</i> 17th-century painting by Artemisia Gentileschi

Judith and her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes is a painting by the Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi, created in 1639-1640. It was one of many paintings by Gentileschi that treats the theme of Judith, who beheads the Assyrian general Holofernes, who was planning to destroy Judith's home city of Bethulia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Treves, Letizia (2020). Artemisia. The National Gallery Company Ltd.
  2. Christiansen, Keith; Mann, Judith Walker (2001-01-01). Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi. New York; New Haven: Metropolitan Museum of Art ; Yale University Press. ISBN   1588390063.
  3. Pericolo, Lorenzo (November 2015). "Statuino: An Undercurrent of Anticlassicism in Italian Baroque Art Theory". Art History. 38 (5): 862–889. doi:10.1111/1467-8365.12187.
  4. Garrard, Mary D. (1989). The Image of the Female Hero in Italian Baroque Art. Princeton University Press.
  5. Pericolo, Lorenzo (November 2015). "Statuino: An Undercurrent of Anticlassicism in Italian Baroque Art Theory". Art History. 38 (5): 862–889. doi:10.1111/1467-8365.12187.
  6. 1 2 deSilva, David A. (May 2006). "Judith the Heroine? Lies, Seduction, and Murder in Cultural Perspective". Biblical Theology Bulletin: Journal of Bible and Culture. 36 (2): 55–61. doi:10.1177/01461079060360020201. ISSN   0146-1079. S2CID   145687113.
  7. ffolliott, Sheila (2016-03-01). "Artemisia Gentileschi: The Language of Painting . Jesse M. Locker". Early Modern Women. 10 (2): 191–194. doi:10.1353/emw.2016.0022. ISSN   1933-0065. S2CID   193584714.
  8. "Immunity From Seizure: Artemisia" (PDF). The National Gallery, London. The National Gallery, London.
  9. Bissell, R. Ward (1999). Artemisia Gentileschi and the Authority of Art. The Pennsylvania State University Press.