Judith Beheading Holofernes by Ludovico Carracci

Judith Beheading Holofernes c. 1583 - 1585

drawing

natural stone pattern

toned paper

light earthy tone

stoneware

earthy tone

coffee painting

underpainting

warm toned

wooden texture

italy

watercolor

"Judith Beheading Holofernes" is a drawing by the Italian artist Ludovico Carracci, dating to circa 1583-1585. The drawing is a preparatory study for Carracci's large-scale oil painting on the same subject. The drawing, which depicts the moment of the biblical heroine Judith beheading the Assyrian general Holofernes, is rendered in brown ink and is housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Carracci's sketch depicts the figures in a dynamic composition, with Judith's sword and Holofernes' outstretched arm drawing the viewer's eye into the center of the scene. The drawing is a testament to Carracci's skills as a draftsman and his interest in the dramatic and emotional aspects of biblical narratives.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Ludovico Carracci’s exceptional gifts as a storyteller are displayed in this depiction of the Jewish heroine Judith, who saved a city besieged by the Assyrians. Sneaking behind enemy lines, she feigned loyalty to Holofernes, the Assyrian general, and he became enamored of her. After a banquet, when he was weak with drink, she beheaded him. Like David with Goliath, Judith was commonly shown triumphantly holding the victim’s severed head. Yet there was also a tradition of representing the moment before the slaying, as Ludovico has done: Holofernes, naked and struggling, and Judith, sword raised, gripping his hair to steady his head. In a novel twist, Ludovico added suspense by having Judith’s maid discovering the assassination along with the viewer. Emerging from the darkness, she pulls back the tent curtain to expose the horrific scene within. Ludovico used various compositional devices to dramatize the moment. The diagonal line of the curtain creates movement and tension, enhanced by an intersecting diagonal thrust extending across Holofernes’ muscular body to Judith’s arms. The shimmering wash, which casts half the scene in darkness, adds mystery and excitement.