Caravaggio’s painting “Judith beheading Holofernes” is one of the many interpretations of the biblical story. It can be seen that the plot of this legend is extremely attractive to the artist because the painting depicts a peculiar mixture of brightness and horror. In the Bible, the strong army of the Assyrian Nebuchadnezzar began the conquest of neighboring lands and conquered one country after another. The head of this cruel pagan army was the merciless Holofernes, who knew no defeat, as well as no mercy and kindness. However, in this painting, he is portrayed not as a mighty warrior but a victim of a woman, the young widow Judith.
The spectator can see that Holofernes is caught suddenly, he did not expect the arrival of Judith, and she took advantage of this moment. The beautiful widow holds the head of Holofernes with her left hand, and in her right hand, she holds a short sword. The blade has already touched the victim’s throat, and a fountain of blood has begun to sprinkle on the snow-white sheets. The author perfectly pictured the horror on Holofernes’s face as he did not have the opportunity to reach out to his throat and defend himself. His eyes had already found Judith’s face, and with surprise, despair, and awareness of imminent death, he stares at her. His mighty body will soon become lifeless, and his eyes will see nothing more, except for this terrible moment.
Another interesting factor about this picture is not only the atrocity of the story and not a sight of a nearly dead body. It is also the way Caravaggio represents Judith as she commits this act. It does not seem as she is looking at her victim with hatred and rage. Instead, her facial expression suggests that she is not blood-thirsty, but she is aware of the need to murder him to save her people. In addition, she squinted eyes express contempt either for cruel but gullible Holofernes.
Nevertheless, there is no doubt that aside from merely portraying the biblical legend, in this work, the author attempted to imply meaning. It becomes clear when a spectator looks closely at Judith. In the original story, she is a young woman who has been a widow for three years. However, in Caravaggio’s is Judith is young; her face is almost childish. Moreover, as the painting demonstrates, Judith’s cutting movements are not quick and confident. The head does not come off with a single hit of the blade. The hand with the sword is awkwardly turned, and it becomes obvious that this is not decisive, sharp, and strong action. The folds of clothing repeat the body’s desire to recoil and escape, so Judith does not have to be in this horror. Her face is full of innocent features, including the touch of red on her nose and cheeks, her protruding lips.
The only detail that depicts Judith’s determination is a deep fold on the bridge of the nose. Another feature that contradicts her uncertainty and naiveté is the way Judith’s other hand firmly and skillfully grabs Holofernes by the hair. On the contrary, he is portrayed more as an unfortunate victim than a villain. Aside from these small details, the contrast and saturation make the representation of the biblical legend look intense and dramatic.
Reference
Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1599 by Caravaggio [Image]. (2015) Web.