Why it matters
Judith and her maid Abra flee Holofernes's tent just after beheading him, his head in the basket the maid carries. Gentileschi reminds us of the violence through the fresh blood dripping from the basket and the screaming head on the pommel of Judith's sword.
Did you know?
- It was painted around 1615.
- It is based on an earlier work by her father, Orazio Gentileschi.
- Red and gold fabrics light up the dark scene, colours she often used during her time in Florence.
Based on the Wikipedia article Judith and Her Maidservant (Artemisia Gentileschi, Florence) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
