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Judith with the Head of Holofernes

Jacques Callot

1628

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Baroque Allegory

Dominant colour

Judith with the Head of Holofernes is a 1628 ink by Jacques Callot, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Jacques Callot
When & what style?: 1628 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This black-and-white print shows a dramatic scene. A woman holds a severed head by the hair, while a servant stands beside her, holding a basket and a cloth. Both figures wear flowing robes, and the woman’s face is turned toward the viewer with a fierce expression. The background is dark and shadowy, with a curtain or canopy above them. The Latin text below translates roughly to “God chose the weakness of the world to confound the strong,” hinting this is a story about victory through cleverness. The artist used sharp lines to create strong contrasts between light and dark. Next, look up etching to see how artists like Callot made prints like this.