Judith with the Head of Holofernes
Artist
Lucas Cranach the Elder
(German, 1472 - 1553)
Dateca. 1527-1537
Object number60.0143
Mediumoil on panel
Dimensions33 13/16 x 22 9/16 x 3/16 in., (85.9 x 57.3 x 0.4 cm,)
frame: 44 1/4 x 32 3/8 x 3 7/8 in. (112.4 x 82.2 x 9.8 cm)
frame: 44 1/4 x 32 3/8 x 3 7/8 in. (112.4 x 82.2 x 9.8 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineMuseo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc.
Collections
On View
Not on viewDescriptionIn the Old Testament, Judith was a Jewish widow who vowed to free her people from the siege of the Assyrians by deceiving their leader, the general Holofernes. Seduced by Judith’s beauty, Holofernes organized a feast and invited her into his tent. Judith, finding the general under the effects of alcohol, decapitated him when they were alone. After losing their leader, the Assyrians withdrew. In this work, Cranach shows a victorious Judith with a firm, serene gaze that contrasts with the deathly-pale and agonizing features of Holofernes. The sword in her right hand belonged to the general, who had been sent by King Nebuchadnezzar to conquer the Israelites. It is possible that the initial on the sword’s blade alludes to the Assyrian king.
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