Who painted Jael Kills Sisera?

Jael Kills Sisera was painted by Bartholomeus Spranger in 1586-01-01.

Where can I see Jael Kills Sisera?

Jael Kills Sisera is held by Statens Museum for Kunst.

What movement is Jael Kills Sisera?

Jael Kills Sisera is associated with Mannerism.

Can I buy a print of Jael Kills Sisera?

Museum-quality prints of Jael Kills Sisera are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Jael Kills Sisera

Bartholomeus Spranger , 1594

Jael Kills Sisera is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Bartholomeus Spranger. It dates from 1594 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The composition’s intensity heightens the moral drama of justice and retribution.

The painting depicts the biblical episode from the Book of Judges in which Jael drives a tent peg into the temple of Sisera, the Canaanite commander, while he sleeps (Judges 4:17–22). Spranger renders the climactic moment with dramatic tension: Jael’s right hand grips the mallet, her left secures Sisera’s head, and the iron spike penetrates his skull.

Symbolically, the scene underscores divine deliverance of Israel through an unexpected agent, Jael, a woman, and aligns with Counter-Reformation emphasis on faith, obedience, and the overthrow of enemies through providence. The composition’s intensity heightens the moral drama of justice and retribution.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1586, this religious painting by Bartholomeus Spranger utilizes oil paint applied to a wooden panel support. The work measures 70 cm in height and 53 cm in width. As a piece of religious art, it visually narrates the biblical episode of Jael and Sisera, depicting the two central figures within the composition.

The combination of oil medium and panel support was a standard approach for Northern Mannerist works of this period, allowing for the detailed rendering characteristic of Spranger's style.

History & Provenance

The painting was created by Bartholomeus Spranger in 1586, as indicated by the date inscribed on the work. It belongs to the genre of religious art and depicts the biblical scene of Jael killing Sisera.

The work entered the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Denmark, where it remains held as of the latest recorded data.

The painting Jael Kills Sisera by Bartholomeus Spranger is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. Created in 1586, the work is executed in oil on panel and depicts the biblical figures of Jael and Sisera. The provided sources do not contain specific inventory numbers or details regarding the work's exhibition history.

Overview

Bartholomeus Spranger’s oil painting Jael Kills Sisata was executed in 1594 while the Flemish artist served as court painter to Emperor Rudolf II in Prague. The work belongs to the Northern Mannerist tradition and is presently part of the Statens Museum for Kunst’s collection.

Context

Spranger’s work reflects the cultural milieu of Rudolf II’s court, a hub for artists who merged Northern detail with Italian virtuosity. The biblical subject aligns with the Counter‑Reformation’s emphasis on moral exempla, while the sensual rendering of the figures demonstrates the court’s taste for sophisticated, intellectually layered imagery.