Judith and Holofernes

The Story

The story of Judith and Holofernes has always captivated and intrigued, especially among artists of every era and movement, who have given their own interpretation to this singular and poignant tale. The story is recounted in the Book of Judith in the Christian Bible, not the Hebrew one, and opens with the military portrait of the King of the Assyrians. The latter aspired to conquer the Mediterranean lands (from Lebanon to Lower Egypt) and, having received refusals from the peoples to join him, sought revenge by sending an army led by Holofernes, general of the army. Holofernes immediately appeared arrogant and blasphemous, and it is here that Judith, a wealthy widow descended from Israel, appears for the first time:

“I want to accomplish a deed that will be passed down from generation to generation to the children of our people.” (8, 32-34).

Judith left the city and headed towards the Babylonian camp, and Holofernes, enchanted by her beauty, prepared a private banquet for her, got drunk, and fell asleep. It was then that Judith took the sword and with all her strength struck his neck twice, severing his head. After placing the head in her bag, she freely fled from the military camp with her maid and arrived in the city displaying her trophy; subsequently, it was exhibited, forcing the Babylonian people to flee.

The Interpretation of Artists

From this tale derives the iconography of the most famous works in art history: from Caravaggio to Artemisia Gentileschi, from Michelangelo to Klimt. Its first representation dates back to Donatello, around 1455, two years after the Turkish-Ottoman war waged by the Church to defeat the “infidel” Turks. The iconography has a clear allusion to the defeat of the Turkish empire at the hands of the Church, just as Judith killed Holofernes and ended the suffering. In Donatello’s work, one can observe Judith’s thoughtful gaze, almost as if the violence is the result of a tragic fate that is above the simple will of individuals.

Only in the 17th century do its representations become even ferocious, and on the canvases, the act of decapitation makes its appearance. Caravaggio was the first to focus attention on the main scene in a gruesome and bloody manner, capturing it at the very moment of the brutal execution. When Caravaggio worked on this canvas, now admired at Palazzo Barberini, we are in the midst of the Counter-Reformation: the Christian church is trying to change its priorities and wants to reconnect with the faithful to defeat the Protestant threat. Moreover, Caravaggio used the iconography of Holofernes to self-portrait as a testament to his constant fear of death. In fact, it was known to all that Caravaggio led a tumultuous and dangerous life, frequenting brothels, getting drunk, and causing brawls. It was a true fixation for him, so much so that on several occasions he dressed as the dead or killed character.

In the case of the artist Artemisia Gentileschi, we find a similar situation: after having suffered a rape at the hands of Agostino Tassi, a well-known artist in the Roman scene and a friend of her father Orazio, she harbored feelings of anger and frustration that flowed into her work Judith and Holofernes, exhibited at the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples, supporting the representation filled with rage and passion of the protagonist.

Until this moment, the story had been represented either in the moment before or, more frequently, after the decapitation, which marks the true defeat of the powerful. Each interpretation combines extreme physical effort with the emotional turmoil to which Judith has been subjected, which are exalted through expressions of pride and dignity, as can also be seen in the works of Klimt, a well-known celebrator of the female figure. Each artist approached the theme with extreme cynicism: Judith represents the allegory of the patriotic struggle in defense of her territory and is capable of protecting the city from the political and religious invader. Some read into the story a kind of revenge of women against men, represented here by Holofernes: overbearing, vicious, and disrespectful towards the latter.

 

Moreover, depending on the artists, the weapon wielded by Judith varies from the large knife (Mantegna) to the short sword (Donatello), from the sword (Caravaggio) to the great sword (Artemisia Gentileschi) and the less realistic long sword; in the works of Giambattista Piazzetta, at the Galleria Corsini, and Vincenzo Catena, at the Fondazione Querini Stampalia, we clearly see the great sword. Judith is identified with Justice (the long sword was the typical weapon of the executioner in capital punishments); at the same time, Judith is a symbol of the Lord’s power, of the victory of the weak over the strong, analogous to the episode of David against Goliath. In the early 20th century, Judith became an icon of decadence, symbolizing the dominating woman to whom man submits.

Certainly, the figure of Judith has accompanied, throughout history, various artistic interpretations in relation to the historical, religious period and personal events that have involved the artists themselves: she has been the central character of revolts, power grabs, and political and religious invasions, becoming the allegorical figure par excellence.