Judith Beheading Holofernes
ArtistCaravaggio
Year1599
MediumOil on canvas
LocationPalazzo Barberini, Rome
About Judith Beheading Holofernes
A brutal, visceral depiction of the biblical story. Judith grimaces with distaste as she saws through the neck. Blood spurts in a stream that shocked contemporary viewers. Caravaggio may have witnessed executions to paint this. Influenced Artemisia Gentileschis version.
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