Judith 1597

Hendrick Goltzius created this engraving of Judith in the late 16th century, amidst the religious and political upheavals of the Dutch Golden Age. Judith, a biblical heroine, has been a potent symbol of female power and resistance, embodying both piety and strategic cunning. Here, she stands triumphant, the severed head of Holofernes in her hand, her gaze averted, perhaps weighed down by the gravity of her deed. Goltzius reimagines Judith as a classical figure. We see her as both a symbol of national pride and a complex study of gendered power dynamics. The question remains, however, whether Judith’s actions are truly celebrated, or if they serve as a cautionary tale about female agency. This print invites us to reflect on the narratives we construct around women in power, and the burdens they carry when they challenge patriarchal structures. How does Judith negotiate the space between heroism and transgression, and what does her story tell us about the representation of women in art and society?