Artemisia Gentileschi's Judith Slaying Holofernes

Artemisia Gentileschi is an artist who became a well-known famous woman painter. Her 1614 Baroque artwork is done in an oil on canvas painting named Judith Slaying Holofernes, it shows a lot of emotions and a dramatic event. Gentileschi painting is a painting that makes us think and ask questions about the painting.
Gentileschi uses dark and light colors in her Judith Slaying Holofernes painting. In the background the artist used dark brown and black colors by incorporating them by using some brush strokes. The colors in the clothing and sheets seems bright and it catches the viewer’s attention because of the background that she used. Gentileschi also used a lot of lines in the sheets, dress, and in the blood. The line makes the dresses and sheets look

wrinkled, making them look as natural as possible, and the sword was perfectly aligned with the blood running down the white sheets to show and emphasize the violence in the slaying. She also used straight lines to show the viewer’s when the blood splattered once Judith cut Holofernes neck. She used lines in both women’s arms to show the struggle and the strength that they are putting to keep Holofernes down to slay him. Analyzing this painting it shows only violence and emotions with all characters, and it seems like she wanted to relate the violence by each one of the woman having red sleeves on them showing aggression towards the man. Holofernes is covered with a red sheet covering his lower body.
In The Columbia Encyclopedia it states that one of Baroque art characteristics is the importance to develop a naturalistic illusion, dramatic lighting effects, energy, and movement of forms. In Gentileschi painting it shows dramatic lighting with the dark background and light colors to emphasize in the dramatic scene that the artist in trying to depict. In addition, she created the blood splatter as naturalistic illusion as possible by showing that blood splatters upwards once Judith made the cut. The painting also shows energy and movement in the way that the characters are positioned. It shows how they are in a position that one would make when putting a lot of strength.
Also, according to The Columbia Encyclopedia two other characteristics of Baroque art styles is to portray restrained feelings and depict religious, physical sensuality, or individual psychology, and to use colors to bring and deliver emotional and physical effects to viewers.

In Judith Slaying Holofernes it clearly depicts individual psychology because of the violence and torture that the artist shows in her painting. Holofernes face shows a face that he doesn’t understand what is happening to him at that moment and it also shows that he is scared. Both woman shows hate and sadness in their face, but mostly hate because they are looking directly at Holofernes. Gentileschi delivers an emotional effect on viewers because it makes us think why is the painting so violent and to see that she was able to show such violence in a painting in such a gruesome way is incredible.
In the painting Judith Slaying Holofernes it represents the artist psychological context. Based on lecture notes from Patricia Bostian, Formalism is assumed that the work is carefully calculated to the works unity. Some of the Formalism ideas that contribute to Gentileschi painting are: the theme, conflict, and the

tone.
The theme of the painting shows violence and vengeance. The artist calculated the representation of the theme of the art to bring out the meaning behind the image. The theme appears in the painting with Holofernes struggles to be released. This shows the theme of violence and vengeance as the two women are above the men taking his life away.
The conflict in the painting is that Holofernes was in bed covered with a sheet, and two women are slaying him. It is a conflict because women are doing a gruesome act towards a man. The artist completing this work of art shows no remorse against men.
The tone in the painting is an aggressive, violent tone as it shows the anger that a woman has toward the men. The dark colors emphasize the brutal act and the mission that the women have achieved. The artist also emphasizes the tone of the painting by creating a vivid act with blood splattering up and all over the bed.
In conclusion, the painting Judith Slaying Holofernes is a Baroque style painting that shows aggression and violence. The artistic use of dark colors in the background emphasizes the act and gives it light to the characters and the violence. The artist portrays emotion and violence with the characteristics used, such as the colors, lines, and facial expressions. This painting is a very aggressive painting, but one that can portray different meanings behind what the artist is trying to express.