The Head of a Woman Looking Up (Judith) 1625 - 1626

Guido Reni made this drawing of a woman’s head, likely Judith, using black and red chalk on paper. Reni was a leading Italian painter of the Baroque period, a time of great artistic and social change. The upward gaze of the figure can be interpreted in many ways. Judith was a popular subject in art, a biblical heroine who saved her people by seducing and then beheading the Assyrian general Holofernes. Representations of Judith often portray her as a figure of female power and resistance against tyranny, as a symbol of strength and defiance in a patriarchal society. Reni’s choice to focus on her face, and the subtle expression, suggests a psychological depth that transcends the conventional heroic depictions. This piece may represent an alternative narrative around female identity at the time. Does the face show resolve, piety, or a hint of regret? The ambiguity invites us to contemplate the complex emotional landscape of a woman placed in extraordinary circumstances, challenging simplistic notions of victimhood or heroism.