Judith with the Head of Holofernes (Cristofano Allori)

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Judit con la cabeza de Holofernes, por Cristofano Allori.jpg
Florence version (Inv. 1912 n. 96), 139 x 116 cm (55 x 46 in)
Judith with the Head of Holofernes by Cristofano Allori.jpg
Edinburgh version (RCIN 404989), 120.4 x 100.3 cm (47.4 x 39.5 in)

Judith with the Head of Holofernes and Judith Holding the Head of Holofernes are names given to two paintings by Cristofano Allori carried out between 1610 and 1613.

Contents

The Paintings

One hangs in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence and is dated to between 1610 and 1612. The second is part of the Royal Collection of the United Kingdom and hangs in the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. There are also several copies and numerous prints by other painters and engravers. [1] [2] [3] The painting depicts the account of Judith beheading Holofernes from the deuterocanonical Book of Judith , which was a popular subject in Baroque art.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judith beheading Holofernes</span> Biblical episode and artistic theme

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.

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<i>Salome</i> (Titian, Rome) Painting by Titian in Rome

Salome, or possibly Judith with the Head of Holofernes, is an oil painting which is an early work by the Venetian painter of the late Renaissance, Titian. It is usually thought to represent Salome with the head of John the Baptist. It is usually dated to around 1515 and is now in the Doria Pamphilj Gallery in Rome. Like other paintings of this subject, it has sometimes been considered to represent Judith with the head of Holofernes, the other biblical incident found in art showing a female and a severed male head. Historically, the main figure has also been called Herodias, the mother of Salome.

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<i>Esther Before Ahasuerus</i> (Tintoretto) Painting by Jacopo Tintoretto

Esther Before Ahasuerus is a large painting of 1546–47 by the Venetian painter Tintoretto showing a scene from the Greek addition to the Book of Esther, in which Queen Esther faints during a bold intervention with her husband King Ahasuerus of Persia. In oil on canvas, it measures 207.7 by 275.5 centimetres. Since the 1620s it has been in the Royal Collection of the United Kingdom, and in 2019 it hung in the King's Gallery in Kensington Palace, London.

<i>Judith and her Maidservant</i> (Gentileschi, Florence) c. 1615 painting by Artemisia Gentileschi

Judith and her Maidservant is a c. 1615 painting 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.

<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>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.

<i>Adoration of the Shepherds</i> (Cariani) Painting by Giovanni Cariani

The Adoration of the Shepherds by Giovanni Cariani is a panel painting of about 1515-1517, now in the Royal Collection of the United Kingdom. The painting is somewhat damaged, and also seems to have been subject to significant changes of intention during the process of painting. It was one of the large group of paintings bought by Charles I of England from the collection of Vincenzo II, last of the Gonzaga Dukes of Mantua in 1628. The painted surface measures 73.6 cm × 120.3 cm.

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<i>The Lovers</i> (Titian) Painting attributed to Titian

The Lovers, also known by other titles, is an oil painting, sometimes attributed to Titian, and dated to about 1510. The picture is part of the Royal Collection of the United Kingdom and hangs in the King's Dressing Room of Windsor Castle.

References

  1. Shearman 1983.
  2. Royal Collection Trust.
  3. Whitaker; Clayton 2007.

Sources