Arcadópolis
Violence. This work is shown blurred, as in the Museum.Show work
The Return of Judith to Bethulia
Sandro Botticelli, c. 1470–1472
What you see
Judith strides forward with lowered eyes, a curved sword in her right hand and an olive branch in her left. Behind her, another woman hurries along, balancing on her head the severed head of a bearded man, wrapped in a cloth. A slender tree rises on the right, and beyond them stretches a valley with hills and a walled city.
The colors are soft: orange-pink for one woman, lilac gray and brown for the other, set against greens and ochres. The line is fine and lively in the folds and the fluttering veils. Look closely at the valley for the tiny rows of horsemen riding across it.
About Sandro Botticelli
Sandro Botticelli worked in Florence for the powerful Medici family. His elegant figures, with hair that seems to float in the wind, brought ancient myths to life as never before. He also painted in the Sistine Chapel, years before Michelangelo.
More by Sandro Botticelli
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