Judith Slaying Holofernes

The painting depicts the biblical story of Judith seducing and assassinating Holofernes. Holofernes was an Assyrian general who was in control of the Israelites. She approaches him under the illusion of creating an alliance with him. He’s so enamored with her that he throws a party and drinks himself into a stupor. Seizing the opportunity, Judith drives a sword through Holofernes neck after he’s fallen asleep.

Context

The work was commissioned by Grand Duke Cosimo II de' Medici. Presumably he had it commissioned for his wife after having seen the original version that Artemisia had painted about 7 years prior. Women painters were not very common at the time and weren’t nearly as respected as male painters. Cosimo refused to ever pay her for the work. Thankfully Cosimo also a foot in the door to the science world; he'd appointed Galileo as his personal mathematician and philosopher. This connection allowed for Judith and Galileo to work out a payment from his family, but only after Cosimo had died.

Who paid for it?

Artemisia was friends with Galileo who at the time was studying astronomy and the parabolic paths of our solar system. It is assumed that Artemisia incorporates some of these new ideas into the painting with the arcs of the blood spurts. She doesn’t depict the spurts this way in her first rendition of Judith Slaying Holofernes, rather you see the blood flowing down the sheets. Showing that shes come back to the Uffizi version with new knowledge.

A Bloody Mess

Some historians believe that Judith is a representation of Artemisia and her past. When she was 17 she had been raped by a painter and during the trial she had tried to attack him with a knife. This piece is Artemisias way of channeling her rage towards the men who have so much power over women at the time. She depicts Judith and her servant as a strong duo, unlike the chaperone that Artemisia was with who had left her along with the rapist.

Judith and Artemsia,one in the same.

Citations

“Artemisia Gentileschi - Google Arts & Culture.” Google, Google, artsandculture.google.com/entity/artemisia-gentileschi/m03bgcm?categoryId=artist&hl=en. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024. Babbs, Verity. “Art Bites: Gentileschi and Galileo Were Pen Pals.” Artnet News, 28 June 2024, news.artnet.com/art-world/art-bites-gentileschi-galileo-2458092#:~:text=But%20did%20you%20know%20that,he%20had%20done%20in%201620. Camara, Esperança. “Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes.” Smarthistory Artemisia Gentileschi Judith Slaying Holofernes Comments, smarthistory.org/gentileschi-judith-slaying-holofernes/. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024. Cartwright, Mark. “Patrons & Artists in Renaissance Italy.” World History Encyclopedia, https://www.worldhistory.org#organization, 15 Nov. 2024, www.worldhistory.org/article/1624/patrons--artists-in-renaissance-italy/. “Cosimo II.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/biography/Cosimo-II. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024. Uffizi. “Judith Beheading Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi.” Uffizi Galleries, 22 Nov. 2023, www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/judith-beheading-holofernes. White, Katie. “Artemisia Gentileschi’s ‘Judith Beheading Holofernes’ Is a Touchstone of Feminist Art History. Here Are 3 Things You Might Not Know about the Gory Masterpiece.” Artnet News, 9 Sept. 2024, news.artnet.com/art-world/artemisia-gentileschi-judith-beheading-holofernes-1897872.

In this period in Italy, most artwork was being created for patrons, Judith Slaying Holofernes was no exception. The issue at the time was that the artist typically had to sacrifice creative freedom to create exactly what their patron wanted. Unfortunately for Artemisia, the masterpiece she had created was too violent for Cosimo's taste. So he donated it and refused to pay her for the work.

Patronage in Italy

This piece was inspired by Carvaggio's depiction of the same biblical story, with a few key differences. Judith and her servant are depicted quite differently in Artemisia's version: they are younger, stronger, more confident, and even seem to take pride in the killing. This depiction of the two women was a deliberate choice to make the pair feel powerful, not dainty like Carvaggio's painting depicts them.