"Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes," by Artemesia Gentileschi, oil; 72.5" x 55.75"
(click picture to enlarge)
(click picture to enlarge)
One of the most common questions I get as an artist/art teacher is "What is your favorite piece of art of all time?" You'd think that this would be a very difficult question to answer, but until I change my mind, this painting by Artemesia Gentileschi is the one for me.
First, you have to know the story of Judith. Click here to read an article on her on wikipedia.org. Consider the size of the painting. It is life size. Imagine coming upon this image in the museum and your eye level is just about where Judith's hand that holds the sword is. Can you avoid feeling like you've stumbled onto a homicide in progress with the dramatic lighting and the blood red curtain in the background? Judith holds out her hand as if to tell her maidservant to be quiet or to block the light from revealing her face. There are a series of interlocking compositional diagonals of light and shadow as well as the position of the figures' limbs and drapery that simultaneously imply action and the nervous stability of being frozen where you stand. Holofernes is barely a "participant" in this composition. His lifeless head is all that is left of him and lies parallel to the horizontal bottom edge of the painting. Judith's maidservant is in the process of bagging or covering the man's head before someone catches the women. Both women are determined yet dispassionate.
The picture has a high degree of realism until you look closer. If the tiny flame on the candle is the only source of light, then it is putting out far more light than is actually physically possible. Also, the placement of the candle is confusing. Is it to Judith's right? Or is it in front of her? The placement of her left hand in relation to the candle creates confusing space in which the candle is both beside her and ahead of her, but the light on her hand indicates it should be straight ahead of her. One can only assume the artist used a second source of light based on these facts and the fact that more of a shadow should be cast by Judith onto her maidservant if the candle is the sole source of light. This slight tweak of space and light enhances the tension of the image. With these idiosyncrasies, this image has captured my attention for a long time with its dramatic lighting, its expression of time, and its dramatic subject matter.
First, you have to know the story of Judith. Click here to read an article on her on wikipedia.org. Consider the size of the painting. It is life size. Imagine coming upon this image in the museum and your eye level is just about where Judith's hand that holds the sword is. Can you avoid feeling like you've stumbled onto a homicide in progress with the dramatic lighting and the blood red curtain in the background? Judith holds out her hand as if to tell her maidservant to be quiet or to block the light from revealing her face. There are a series of interlocking compositional diagonals of light and shadow as well as the position of the figures' limbs and drapery that simultaneously imply action and the nervous stability of being frozen where you stand. Holofernes is barely a "participant" in this composition. His lifeless head is all that is left of him and lies parallel to the horizontal bottom edge of the painting. Judith's maidservant is in the process of bagging or covering the man's head before someone catches the women. Both women are determined yet dispassionate.
The picture has a high degree of realism until you look closer. If the tiny flame on the candle is the only source of light, then it is putting out far more light than is actually physically possible. Also, the placement of the candle is confusing. Is it to Judith's right? Or is it in front of her? The placement of her left hand in relation to the candle creates confusing space in which the candle is both beside her and ahead of her, but the light on her hand indicates it should be straight ahead of her. One can only assume the artist used a second source of light based on these facts and the fact that more of a shadow should be cast by Judith onto her maidservant if the candle is the sole source of light. This slight tweak of space and light enhances the tension of the image. With these idiosyncrasies, this image has captured my attention for a long time with its dramatic lighting, its expression of time, and its dramatic subject matter.
© Stephanie Lewis, 2005
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