#bookofjudith — Public Fediverse posts

"Judith Slaying Holofernes," Artemisia Geintileschi, c. 1612-3.

Gentileschi (1593-after 1654) is considered the most accomplished artist of either gender in the Baroque period.

This image, while gruesome, is from a Bible story, of the Jewish widow Judith, whose city was threatened by the Assyrian general Holofernes. She went to his tent to seduce him, got him drunk, and then she and a maid beheaded him. It was a favorite subject for artists of the period; many did their own versions of it.

Gentileschi was famous for her naturalistic handling of the female form, and here she is dazzling. Judith is calm and determined, and is no dainty lady but an athletic woman; she HAD to be! Holofernes' writhing is very realistic as well; it's a shocking and believable image.

This was painted soon after an infamous trial where she testified against a man who sexually assaulted her; many wonder if this was her way of expressing her rage. It's notable that she did six versions of the same scene.

Much of her life is unknown; we don't even know when or how she died, just that her last commission was in 1654.

From the Museo di Capodimonte, Naples.

#Art #ArtemisiaGentileschi #WomenArtists #WomenInArt #Herstory #BookOfJudith #Baroque #Biblical #Rage