The Two Slayings of Holofernes: Artemisia vs. Caravaggio

The religious motif Judith Slaying Holofernes depicts the story of a woman freeing her people through an act of blood and bravery. Two famous artists, Artemisia Gentileschi and Michelangelo Caravaggio, each created their own unique image portraying the story. But the question arises: how did two totally different paintings result from the same story?

By applying oil paint to canvas, the modern world can experience ancient stories and techniques and better understand how two artists can create such varying images from the same story.

The story of Judith and Holofernes has experienced many retellings and translations. The oldest translation of the story of Judith is Greek, as the original Hebrew text has yet to be recovered.

In short, the story focuses on a Jewish woman’s attempt to save Israel and her people from Nebuchadnezzar’s rule. In the early 16th century BCE, the Assyrian ruler Nebuchadnezzar sent his General, Holofernes, to take control of Israel. This included laying siege to the Israeli city of Bethulia.

Judith was a beautiful young widow. Her husband, Manasseh, had died three years earlier. Although she was alone, Judith’s husband left her a lofty estate upon his death, which she managed well. She remained devoutly religious throughout her years, dressing humbly and fasting for many days.

General Holofernes and his army besieged Bethulia and cut off the city’s water supply. The city’s ruler, Uzziah, asked his people to remain hopeful, even as the reservoirs and water stores ran dry.  However, as the siege continued, the people began to tire and wanted to surrender. They wished for their suffering to end.

Judith saw her people’s trouble and rebuked Uzziah’s intent to surrender. In front of the city leaders, Judith declared that God would act through her, and she devised a plan to save her people. Judith adorned beautiful clothes and packed rich, delectable food to offer as a gift to the general.

Accompanied by her maidservant Abra, the two left Betulia and traveled to the Assyrian army. Once they arrived, Judith put her plan into action. She claimed to be fleeing Bethulia as the city was about to be handed over to General Holofernes and his men. The men were so struck by her beauty and the lies she told that they assigned 100 men to escort her to Holofernes’ tent.

Upon seeing her, Holofernes was entranced by Judith’s beauty and eloquent speech. For four days, Judith and Ava remained in the camp, claiming that every night, they would pray to God and ask when it would be safe to attack Bethulia. On the fourth day, Holofernes invited Judith to an elaborate banquet, complete with rich food and wine. Judith ate and drank only what her maidservant, Ava, prepared for her. Holofernes was encouraged to drink much more until he passed out on his bed. Following his drift into a peaceful slumber, Judith took Holofernes’ sword and decapitated him, stuffed his severed head into a sack, and took the prize back to Bethulia.

It is the early 1600s in Rome. At this time, Artemisia Gentileschi had already begun her art career, and Caravaggio had been in Rome since 1592. Both would become some of the most famous and praised artists of the Baroque era, shaping the movement into what it is known for today.

Caravaggio was born 22 years before Artemisia Gentileschi. Age and gender expectations of the time separated them, and so they only met a few times. Artemisia’s father, a well-known painter named Orazio, had shared a friendship with Caravaggio. While the pair’s kinship was short-lived, Caravaggio’s influence remained strong in the Gentileschi household and would also inspire a young Artemisia. Looking at key moments such as this within the lives of both artists can offer clues to understanding their work and how it’s possible that two artists could create such varying images of the same story.

Caravaggio

Michelangelo Caravaggio, more commonly known simply as Caravaggio, was born in 1571 in Milan, Italy. The unsettling realism and dark color palette of his work have made him a household name for most art enthusiasts. He is given credit for leading the Tenebrism art movement. Tenebrism is the technique of highlighting highly detailed features with a bright light that contrasts with dark backgrounds and undertones.

Along with dramatic shadows and lighting, Caravaggio’s paintings are thought-provoking and risqué. He painted from live models in an unromantic, unidealized fashion. Rumors often spread throughout Rome about the origin of his models; the artist hired mistresses and prostitutes of all genders. One of the most outstanding rumors was that one of Caravaggio’s models for his painting, The Death of the Virgin, was the body of a drowned prostitute.

Caravaggio’s life was tumultuous. The tenebrism movement he brought into the world may have come from the artist’s shadowy places. While a great painter, Caravaggio was also driven by his temper and taste for alcohol. He was an instigator of many brawls and was easily angered.

It is possible that his aggressive tendencies led to the ending of his friendship with Artemisia’s father, Orazio Gentileschi. This is documented in a 1603 libel trial, in which both individuals were imprisoned for creating a set of satirical artworks mocking another artist. Caravaggio and Orazio were both released, but this is the last known documentation of their friendship.

Caravaggio’s anger and inability to control it would drive him to end more than just friendships. During the peak of his success in Rome, Caravaggio was prosecuted and exiled for murdering a man. Caravaggio stabbed a well-known pimp over either a woman or a tennis match. Whether he had intended to kill the man is unclear.

Caravaggio became a fugitive of Rome and fled shortly thereafter. However, the artist sought pardon for his crimes and hoped to return to Rome as a free man. Unfortunately, by the time his pardon was granted, and after many additional brawls and prison sentences, Caravaggio was in poor health, which led to him dying before he could return.

Artemisia Gentileschi is one of the world’s most famous women painters. During her time, she brought the female perspective into an art world dominated by male artists. Artemisia Gentileschi’s experiences offer the unique and painfully true tale of what it is to be a woman both of and ahead of her time.

Artemisia was born in 1593 to celebrated artist Orazio Gentileschi. Her mother and siblings all passed away when she was young. When Artemisia began to show an interest in art, Orazio turned from single parent to single parent and art tutor. Artemisia studied under her father and also took on Caravaggio’s Tenebrism techniques. She maintained this painting style throughout her life, even after surpassing her father’s artistic abilities.

In 1612, Artemisia was left in the care of Agostino Tassi, a friend and colleague of Orazio. Tassi raped then-17-year-old Artemesia. During this time, the act of rape was more of a crime against a family’s honor than it was against a woman. When Tassi refused to marry Artemesia afterward, Orazio had Tassi prosecuted.

While Tassi was reportedly exiled from Rome for five years, his sentence was not enforced. Shortly afterward, Artemisia married a Florentine painter to escape the scandal and the impious reputation that befell her after the attack. She continued to paint. From a frightful and painful experience, she grew and became well-known for her theatrical work. Her paintings carry themes of women’s vengeance, strength, and endurance.

The Paintings: Two Versions of Judith Beheading Holofernes

Looking at these two paintings side by side, it is clear that while the stories are the same, the hearts of their painters were very different. While the personal narratives of each artist offer some insight into their respective paintings, the artist’s gender could also have some say in how Judith, the maidservant Ada, and Holofernes are depicted in each image.

Caravaggio’s depiction of the story reflects his perspective. Judith grips Holofernes’ hair; her face shows more concern than anger. Her arms are stretched out in front of her as if there is a level of disgust about getting blood on her dress. An older woman, wrinkled and worn by years of servitude, waits nearby with a burlap sack.

The man who is being beheaded holds more life in his face than either of the two women. He screams out with his mouth wide open. His forehead wrinkles, and there is still some life in his eyes as he pushes up, weakly struggling against the surprise attack on his life. He is surprised, almost betrayed by what is happening to him.

Holofernes is a man whose pride and lust lead to his downfall. He was lured by raw instincts and his temptations toward Judith. Caravaggio himself was a man plagued by his own emotions, lust, pride, and anger. The way that Holofernes is depicted in this painting shows a man, at the end of his life, struggling against his own decisions.

Caravaggio’s depiction of this story is more focused on Holofernes. With the use of light and shadow, Carvaggio draws the viewer to the dramatic emotions in Holofernes’ face. While Judith is depicted beautifully, her character is less active and less engaging. The red drapes over Holofernes’ body feel painful, highlighting the small splash of blood squirting from the man’s neck.

Caravaggio may have felt greater sympathy for Holofernes or simply more easily related to him in the story. Besides their obvious commonalities, such as gender, Caravaggio also understood Holofernes as a man who suffered greatly for his uncontrollable emotions. While Caravaggio painted Judith Slaying Holofernes almost six years before being convicted of murder, his paintings could be a sign that Caravaggio feared his own emotions might be the better of him one day.

Two women strain to hold down a man, pushing down with their full body weight. Their faces are concentrated, holding a deep understanding of what has to be done. Judith grips Holofenres’ head against the bed as she cuts his throat. Her maidservant, Ada, depicted here as young and vibrant, holds the man down despite his fists clasping at the neck of her dress. It is clear that Holofernes’ fight is over; while there are signs of struggle, his eyes are lifeless, and his mouth is slack.

Artemisia approaches this painting through the lens of a woman who has been wronged. She relates to Judith, a woman enraged and scorned by her experiences. Unlike Caravaggio, she knows what it takes for two women to hold down a resisting grown man; they need strength and bravery. We also see Ada depicted as a young woman, the opposite of the elderly handmaid depicted in Carvaggio’s work. These two women depicted as young and working together to hold down the general create a sense of almost grotesque camaraderie—the feeling of women needing to work together to fight against male power.

Artemisia Gentileschi also exhibits in her work the violence women are capable of. Judith’s own sexual assault experiences led to her having to endure torture in the courtroom as a way of lie detection. The viewer can imagine the artist’s feelings in those horrific moments as they look at the concentrated faces of Judith and Ada as they seek revenge. The light draws attention to the act as a whole. The three figures’ faces make a triangle, and in the middle, the gruesome act makes the story of Judith and Holofernes memorable. Artemisia doesn’t spare her viewers but instead offers them the gore, violence, and rage that was present in her life and out of her control.

Artemisia Gentileschi and Michelangelo Caravaggio both created magnificent works of art born from the same biblical story. While the result of each image of the beheading of Holofernes is the same, we see the true nature of each artist in the differences. How Holofernes is depicted in his last moments and how Judith and Ava complete their murderous task tells us how each artist relates to the story. Artemesia understood the rage that can exist within women and the strength it can give them. Caravaggio understood how a man can suffer for his actions and emotions. These artists have made an excellent case for the idea that an artwork can tell multiple stories. By looking deeper into the artists themselves, the art world can give life to the personal histories of the world’s most famous creators.