Artwork
Judith with the Head of Holofernes
Judith with the Head of Holofernes is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist David Teniers the Younger. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This painting, rendered on copper, depicts a dramatic and somber scene.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays the biblical episode of Judith and Holofernes, showing Judith holding the severed head of the Assyrian general Holofernes.
The painting portrays the biblical episode of Judith and Holofernes, showing Judith holding the severed head of the Assyrian general Holofernes. Set within a tent, the composition includes a domestic worker and emphasises the aftermath of the beheading. As a religious work, it visualises Judith's courageous act that saved her people, highlighting themes of divine deliverance and heroic virtue through its depiction of the two central figures and the symbolic head.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1650, this religious painting by David Teniers the Younger utilises oil paint applied to a copper support. The choice of copper as a substrate allows for the smooth, refined surface characteristic of the artist's small-scale works from this period. Measuring 36.8 by 26.4 centimetres, the composition depicts the biblical narrative of Judith holding the severed head of Holofernes, accompanied by a domestic worker within a tented setting.
The medium facilitates a high degree of detail in rendering the figures and textures, consistent with the Flemish tradition of cabinet paintings on metal panels.
History & Provenance
David Teniers the Younger executed Judith with the Head of Holofernes in 1650. The artist created this religious work using oil paint applied to a copper support, a medium choice characteristic of his small-scale productions during this period. The painting measures 36.8 by 26.4 centimetres.
The work is presently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The piece depicts the biblical narrative of Judith displaying the severed head of Holofernes, accompanied by a domestic worker within a tent setting.
Overview
This painting, rendered on copper, depicts a dramatic and somber scene. A young woman, identified as Judith, stands prominently, clutching a mysterious wrapped object to her chest. An older companion observes the moment, while a severed head lies on the ground, partially obscured by shadow.
The composition is characterized by its dim illumination and profound shadows, which contribute to the work's intense atmosphere and draw attention to the central figures.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
David Teniers the Younger or David Teniers II was a Flemish Baroque painter, printmaker, and artist.
- Judith with the Head of Holofernes
Judith with the Head of Holofernes
Judith with the head of Holofernes
Judith with the Head of Holofernes
Judith and the Head of Holofernes
Judith with the Head of Holofernes
Judith with the Head of Holofernes
Judith with the head of Holofernes
Judith with the Head of Holofernes
Judith with the Head of Holofernes