Arcadópolis
Violence. This work is shown blurred, as in the Museum.Show work
Judith Beheading Holofernes
Caravaggio, c. 1599
What you see
The scene reads from left to right. Holofernes, lying on white sheets, twists his torso toward the viewer. Judith, in a white blouse and golden skirt, reaches toward him with the sword; she frowns and leans back, as if keeping her distance. Beside her, an old woman in profile holds a cloth open and watches intently.
A red curtain hangs above like a stage drape, and the darkness behind isolates the three figures. Light from the left sharply outlines Judith’s arms, the folds of her blouse and the old woman’s wrinkles. It is worth comparing those two faces, so close and so different, and finding the young woman’s small dark earring.
About Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi, called Caravaggio after his family’s home town, painted scenes as if they were happening on a dark stage lit by a spotlight. He used ordinary people from the street as models, which was very daring at the time. His use of light and shadow inspired painters all over Europe.
More by Caravaggio
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