Judith Slaying Holofernes (Artemisia Gentileschi, Naples)

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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 deuterocanonical 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. The composition places Judith on the right side of the canvas, actively restraining Holofernes while performing the beheading, while Abra assists from behind by holding the figure in place. The scene is tightly structured and emphasizes physical immediacy through close spatial framing. Gentileschi employs strong chiaroscuro, with dramatic contrasts between light and shadow that highlight the figures...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Artemisia Gentileschi, Public domain