Judith beheading Holofernes: Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi

Both Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi (twice) executed paintings of the biblical story of Judith beheading the Assyrian general Holofernes. I will compare these representations but will first document why this particular comparison is especially interesting.

Artemisia Gentileschi was a Caravaggisti. Caravaggio had been too busy getting into trouble and running from the law -- and developing phenomenal works of art during the dead periods --to establish a school or to take on students. Rather, subsequent adherence to his style was organic.

According to worldatlas.com, "Caravaggisti art refers to an artistic movement that resulted in a new Baroque painting style" based on the work of Caravaggio and characterized by the use of tenebrism ("the use of profound shadowing and high contrast between areas of light and dark") and chiaroscuro (use of "light and shadows to create a three-dimensional appearance").

The painters who adopted Caravaggio's techniques were called Caravaggisti. Some adopted his techniques for a portion of their careers while others devoted their entire lives to modeling his style. 

The chart below shows the elements of Caravaggio's style in the southwestern quadrant and its further spread along the bottom portion. Style adherents are shown in the upper portions of the chart.

Orazio Gentileschi, the father of Artemisia, became a close associate of Caravaggio after seeing the latter’s 1600 paintings. Gentileschi’s paintings post-1600 began to incorporate elements of the Caravaggio approach (NGA, Christiansen and Mann):

• Use of models
• Dramatic lighting
• Simplified compositional structures with a restricted number of figures close to the picture plane
• Use of dramatic, unconventional gestures and monumental composition
• Uncompromising realism and contemporary representation of figure types.

Even though Orazio backslid, he still enjoys special prominence when discussions arise re Caravaggisti active in the first two decades of the 17th century. He was the first to respond to the shift but he also influenced others, notably Bartolomeo Lavarozzi (1590 - 1625), Orazio Riminaldi (1593 - 1630), and Giovann Francesco Guerreiri (1589 - 1655/1659), Italians all. He also influenced Hendrik Terbruggen who the took the style back to Utrecht. But, by far, his most prominent student was his daughter Artemisia.

The Story behind the Paintings

Holofernes, an Assyrian general, had been sent by King Nebuchadnezzar to “teach the Israelites a lesson” after they failed to lend assistance in one of his recent wars. Holofernes laid siege to the city of Bethulia, compromising its water sources. The inhabitants were in favor of yielding to the general but the leaders asked for five days, hoping that assistance would materialize.

During this waiting period the widow Judith entered Holofernes’ camp, along with her maid, under the pretext of being able to provide information that would aid his efforts. Holofernes became enamored with Judith — her intent — and prepared a sumptuous meal that, he hoped, would be a seduction vehicle. He drank too much at the dinner, however and fell asleep. Judith took the opportunity to use his sword to behead him and took his head back to the leaders of Bethulia. The shock of losing their leader in this manner eventually led to the defeat of the Assyrians.

The Paintings

Judith beheading Holofernes was Caravaggio’s first historical work. It was commissioned by Ottavia Costa, a Genoese banker. Costa was so enamored with the painting that he stipulated its inalienability in his will. It was lost to public view for several centuries until the restorer Pico Cettini reported in 1951 that he had seen it in a home. A little over 20 years later the Italian state bought the piece and exhibited it in Palazzo Barberini.

According to barberinicorsini.org, the light in the scene falls from the top left, “striking Judith’s figure in full.” Unlike the story relayed in the book of Judith, Caravaggio has Abra, Judith’s maidservant, in the room and as a wrinkled old woman. This “haggard attendant merely looks on, her eyes wide with disbelief.” Judith appears to “gracefully” recoil from her gruesome task.

Artemisia painted two versions of this story: 1611 - 1612 and 1629. As a young woman she had been raped by her teacher Agostino Tasi and, while it is believed that she was influenced by Caravaggio’s version, the cold brutality exhibited in these paintings gives a sense that she is calling on something deeper: the cold rage of the violated.

Smart History calls this “… one of the bloodiest and most vivid depictions of the scene … surpassing the version by Caravaggio … in its immediacy and striking realism.” While Judith is a shrinking violet in Caravaggio’s version — and Abra is barely there — Artemisia’s versions depict two strong young women working cooperatively to defeat an opposing force.

While the flow of blood from Caravaggio is insipid to the point of ridicule, Artemisia’s blood flow is vivid, plentiful, and explosive, flowing in multiple rivulets down the face of the mattress.

In the Gentileschi paintings the figures are directly in front of us — great for dramatic effect — and appear as though highlighted by a spotlight.

In a funny kind of way, if one can get funny about a beheading, Caravaggio’s painting is somewhat more sensitive and “feminine” in its portrayal of the scene while Gentileschi’s is much more hunter-like.