Judith Slaying Holofernes - 1833 Words

Judith Slaying Holofernes Artemisia Gentileschi was not the first to paint Judith Slaying Holofernes. Her father had painted Judith. Michelangelo, Botticelli and Caravaggio had painted Judith. Donatello had sculpted Judith. But she was the first to interpret the story of Judith, in a time when women had few rights, as an allegory for female dominance. In comparison with other contemporary versions, the composition, dramatic style, and emotions of the characters present a violently feminist view that may have stemmed from Gentileschis own experiences. Judith Slaying Holofernes1, by Artemisia Gentileschi, is an oil painting and was completed in 1620. It retells the Old Testament story of Judith, a Jewish widow of noble rank. An†¦show more content†¦Delilah was a beautiful Philistine who tricked Samson to achieve his ruin. Judith and Delilah both used their beauty and intelligence against men, and were therefore both determined to be deceitful and immoral. Judith came to be known as la belle dame sans merci, the beautiful lady without mercy. In Cellinis Perseus4, and Giambolognas The Rape of the Sabine Women5, violence towards women was moralized and perceived as normal. As the antithesis of this attitude, the character and deeds of Judith were viewed as subversive and offensive. Francesco di Lorenzo, herald of the Signoria, asked to have Donatellos Judith6 removed from the front of the Palazzo Vecchio in 1504 on the grounds that Judith is an omen of evilÂ… it is not proper that the woman should kill the male. Artists striving for any appearance of propriety created extremely feminine, quiet and bland Judiths, perhaps to avoid the controversy Gentileschi wholeheartedly invited. Veroneses Judith7 (1570) is a perfect example of this. Her hair is immaculately braided and her skin a porcelain white rivaling the delicate pearls around her neck. She gazes into the distance as she daintily places the head of Holofernes in the bag her servant holds out for her. Simply put, Judith appears as dead as the head she holds. She is devoid of emotion, intelligence and humanity. Again, she is nothing but an allegory, a warning for proud and arrogant men. Carlo Saracenis Judith8 (1615) has a smiling Judith holdingShow MoreRelatedPower And Power In Judith Slaying Holofernes By Artemisia Gentileschi1154 Words   |  5 Pagesnot uncommon themes in art, however, few paintings depict bloodshed and power with such resounding naturalism as Artemisia Gentileschis work titled Judith Slaying Holofernes. The work is an oil on canvas completed in the Baroque era sometime between 1614 to 1620, and depicts Judith and her maidservant holding down the struggling Holofernes as Judith pulls a sword through his neck. Gentileschi utilizes a combination of chiaroscuro and diagonal lines to not only create the lifelikeness and drama ofRead MoreArtemisia Gentileschi1979 Words   |  8 Pagesthe time, Artemisia - probably trying to make the situation less heavy - married the Florentine Pierantonio Stiattesi and moved to Florence. She travelled a lot between Rome and Florence, creating a series of works - like Mary Magdalene and Judith and Holofernes by Pit ti Palace – in which the influence of her father is evident. In 1621 she left Florence with her father to go Genoa. The following year she returned to Rome and remained there for three years. In 1627 she moved to Naples, where her worksRead MorePeter Paul Rubens: St. George and the Dragon2895 Words   |  12 Pagesvarious pieces. Through his paintings he created a vivid, dramatic mode of expression that was later called Baroque. The unique qualities of his invention is strongly characterized by the piece St. George and the Dragon which depicts the patron saint slaying the dragon Ascalon to save the princess of Seline. The princess is stiffly posed, but painted in a highly detailed manner, a characteristic that was prevalent in Ruben’s predecessors. The heroic figure of the knight shows brilliant colors and animatedRead MoreEssay Judith and Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes1057 Words   |  5 PagesI had never heard of the artist Artemisia Gentileschi before thi s introductory Art course. Of all the paintings and sculptures found within the book, it was her work that stood out and spoke to me. Judith and Maidservant with the head of Holofernes is a particularly rich oil painting by the Italian Gentileschi, painted circa 1625 Europe. Her large canvas measures 72 and 1/2 inches by 55 and 3/4 inches and began as a biblical story telling inspiration come to life within the oil. Located at theRead MoreThe Life of Artemisia Gentileschi1131 Words   |  4 Pagesstrange how Artemisia painted a story of a potential rape and little did she know she was going to experience it for herself. About year after Susanna and the Elders, she revealed her take on Judith and her Maidservant (see Figure 2). Judith and her Maidservant is the aftermath of the beheading of Holofernes, which Gentileschi painted afterward. Her father was known to have been a Caravaggisti, a follower of the artistic style of the famous Italian painter Caravaggio. Her father’s admiration of thisRead MoreThe Passion of Artemisia by Susan Vreeland740 Words   |  3 Pagesa novel. Judith Slaying Holofernes (Naples), dated 1612-1613, is believed to have been finished before her move to Florence, which is where she had her first child. Whereas personal details surrounding her family life and any eagerness to join the Academy may be unavailable, the circumstance Vreeland describes is plausible. Although dates were largely excluded from the novel, an inconsistency does appear in the timeline within this selection of which the second Judith Slaying Holofernes paintingRead MoreArt Analysis: Renaissance Period vs. Italian Baroque1461 Words   |  6 PagesThis is no doubt out of line with what has been concluded about Massy already as being a man who has reduced the Christian iconography from his work. Title: Judith Slaying Holofernes, 1611-1612 Artist: Artemisia Gentileschi: The subject of this piece of work is a story from the bible in which Judith has seduced the Assyrian general Holofernes and now along with her maidservant is beheading the general. The scene is intense and has been shown with all the raw emotions that would have been part ofRead MoreThe Renaissance Period And Artemisia Gentileschi Of The Baroque Period2173 Words   |  9 Pagescontrast, Gentileschi’s Judith Beheading Holofernes (Figure 6) has a darker, more dramatic aesthetic. In this painting, Judith and her maidservant slay the head of the Assyrian general Holofernes to save Israel from the Assyrian invaders. Immediately, the viewer’s eye is drawn to the head of Holofernes by the arms of Judith and her maidservant as well as the blood spurting from his neck. The tenebrism adds to the drama of the scene, reminiscent of a stage play. The size of Holofernes struggling againstRead MoreFemale Italian Artists of the Baroque Period2154 Words   |  9 Pagesproved to be h er most controversial. Judith Slaying Holofernes was painted 1612-1613. Although painted many times throughout history, she decided to paint the actual time of the murderous act vice the more traditional painting of Holofernes’ head in a basket after the deadly deed had been done. Full of verisimilitude, Artemisia paints Judith wearing a dark blue dress with gold embroidery and her sleeves rolled up. The Biblical character of Judith is using Holofernes’ sword attempting to decapitate himRead MoreArtemisia Gentileschi2144 Words   |  9 Pagespaintings the female is the main protagonist and is taking a stand in some way or form. One such painting that is commonly brought up is â€Å"Judith Slaying Holofernes†(Brash et al., 1999), in this painting a woman named Judith is saving the Jewish people by decapitating a general named Holofernes. The brutal scene that is painted is very graphic, as it shows Judith slicing the generals throat while her handmaiden holds h im down. A painting that brings up some controversy is known as â€Å"Madonna and Child†(Brash