Judith: the original femme fatale
Conrat Meit, Judith with the Head of Holofernes (detail ), 1512-1514 Alabaster with gilding 30 cm high Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich
In the Old Testament’s Book of Judith, the beautiful widow saved the besieged city of Bethulia by charming her way into the tent of Assyrian general Holofernes and beheading him, enabling the Israelites to defeat the invading army.
The Artstor Digital Library features more than 600 images depicting the story of Judith and Holofernes, attesting to the powerful appeal the Judith narrative has over artists. The Jessica E. Smith and Kevin R. Brine Charitable Trust sponsored 330 new images to be added to the Digital Library’s existing 300 images based on the story. Images on the theme range from an 11th century illuminated manuscript to an unnerving tableau by Judith Greifinger Klausner from 2008 that features insects playing the parts of the two characters.
Hans Baldung, Judith with the Head of Holofernes, early 16th century. Oil on panel , 92 x 77 cm. Schloss Friedenstein Museum, Gotha.
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, David with the Head of Goliath, 1609-1610.Oil on canvas, 125 x 101 cm. Galleria Borghese, Source Image and original data provided by Erich Lessing Culture and Fine Arts Archives/ART RESOURCE, N.Y.
Judith’s story of a weaker opponent beating a superior enemy echoes the more familiar story of David and Goliath, in which the much smaller David forgoes armor and sword and defeats the enormous Philistine warrior with a slingshot, then cuts off his head. His action, like Judith’s, demoralizes the enemy and leads the Israelites to triumph. Indeed, both tales have been represented similarly in art, with the victor serenely observing the head of the rival, or presenting it to the viewer.
Attributed to Giovanni Battista Naldini, Judith with the Head of Holofernes, mid to late 16th century. Red and brown chalk, 238 x 170 mm. Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA.
Carlo Maratti, Jael and Sisera, late 17th or early 18th century. Pen and brown ink over black chalk, 440 x 306 mm. The British Museum, London.
Closer still in its outlines is the story of Jael in the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible. Sisera, captain of the Canaanite army of King Jabin, fled the battle against Israel. Jael welcomed him into her tent at the settlement of Heber and served him milk, and when Sisera fell asleep, Jael drove a tent peg through his temples with a mallet, leading again to Israel’s victory.
Joseph Heintz the Younger, Salome with the Head of John the Baptist (after Lucas Cranach the Elder), 1600-1605. Oil on oak, 94 x 71 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris, France.
Lucas Cranach the Elder, Judith with the Head of Holofernes, early 16th century. Oil on panel, 89.5 x 61.9 cm. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
The combination of sexual allure and violence also accounts for the popularity of the subject. Interestingly, some images of the story of Salome and John the Baptist are virtually indistinguishable from those of Judith and Holofernes,
Nicolas Blasset, Judith with the Head of Holofernes, early to mid 17th century. Stone with gilding, Cathedral of Notre-Dame d’Amiens.
though in many ways the messages are opposite. (In the example above, the painting of Salome is based directly on an earlier painting of Judith.) In the New Testament, Salome dances before King Herod, and he, smitten, promises her anything she wants. Following her mother’s orders, she asks for the head of John the Baptist served in a platter. The two stories present both sides of the femme fatale – one which is feared and must be contained, or one which is celebrated for its empowerment of women.
You can view the Judith and Holofernes (Jessica E. Smith and Kevin R. Brine Charitable Trust) collection in the Digital Library: http://library.artstor.org/library/collection/judith.
For more detailed information about this collection, visit the Judith and Holofernes (Jessica E. Smith and Kevin R. Brine Charitable Trust) collection page.