Judith’s tale of heroism can be found in the biblical book the deuterocanonical book of Judith. It depicts how the Jews were under siege and how Judith snuck into Holofernes’s tent and emerged the next day with his decapitated head. Judith’s heroic story has captured the imaginations of many artists. Using different techniques and taking various artistic liberties, those who illustrated this story in the past have implemented their own interpretation of the narrative and, in some cases, inserted a personal subtext as well.
Judith Decapitating Holofernes by Trophime Bigot is an oil on canvas painting created around 1640. Judith Decapitating Holofernes is painted on a 49 1/2 x 77 1/2 inch canvas. These measurements are rather large, which
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One such artist was Artemisia Gentileschi. She created two pieces depicting the same scene with similar techniques, but her oil on canvas piece Judith Slaying Holofernes, dimensions 199cm X 162 ½ cm created 1614-1620, is said to have a deeper meaning than other artists interpretations of Judith’s account. The oil on canvas painting utilizes triangular composition to draw the viewers eyes to Holofernes’s face/throat being severed. Gentileschi utilizes the high value and overlapping bodies to create depth and texture throughout the piece without creating visible brush strokes. Gentileschi also chose to include Judith’s maid servant who in some interpretations of the story went with Judith to assist in the beheading and many artists choose to include. While most other artists focal points were also Judith, they mainly focused on the beauty of Judith. Judith often having a careless of nonchalant face and air about her with little or no blood. Gentileschi chose to display her in her full grotesque violence and concentration. Often Holofernes is partially shadowed and obscured while Judith is the focal point, but Gentileschi switched the roles. In two more paintings by Gentileschi, Judith and her maidservant are both depicted after the beheading with the maidservant holding Holofernes’s head and using similar techniques to her previous work. While …show more content…
The piece, Judith and Holofernes is a free-standing bronze sculpture that is meant to be viewed from any angle. It is 93 inches by 236 cm. the statue displays Judith in what appears to be a swinging motion holding her sword valiantly in the air. Judith is the focal point of the piece even though it may be viewed from any angle. She holds Holofernes’s head still attached to his body that lies against her form. This may have been to give additional stability to the piece. Donatello chose to not include Judith’s maidservant in the piece. The piece clearly displays Judith’s victory and calm in the chaotic situation. The sculpture was commissioned with the purpose of flaunting the Medici’s power and to symbolize the weak overcoming the strong. Therefore, piece appears to not have a significant religious impression other than the figures depicted because of the reason it was
The text also describes that West worked more deliberately on the faces than the things around the girls; people believed that it was a sort of portrait painting. Also in the text it says that, “ Smith (1883) has suggested that Fidelia may be a portrait of a Miss Hall, whom he identifies as the model for West’s Una” (American Paintings, 209). Fidelia is wearing a long white heavy drapery with a blue undergarment. She is holding a large brown book with gold clasp that is known to be the New Testament and she is also holding the gold chalice with a skinny green snake sneaking up but shows no fear to the snake and we know this because of her facial expression, she is just staring away. The text from the Timken Museum also informs us that the New Testament and chalice she was holding are ideas from Christian values, the chalice is supposed to be holding wine and water. However, for this painting the chalice is holding the snake to resemble poison that was meant to kill St. John. Apart from Fidelia, Speranza is wearing purplish long and heavy drapery with a greenish mantle wrapped around her legs and to the back of her, she is standing a bit behind her sister as well as holding onto Fidelias’ arm with a worried face while holding her hand up on her chest on her heart. Speranza is also holding a brown anchor on her left arm that is bent. Fidelia and Speranza are
At the top of the artwork the upper part of the cross extends beyond the altarpiece. The edge of John the Evangelist’s red robe on the left of the altarpiece and the edge of Mary Magdalene’s pale blue skirt on the right are cut off when the panel ends, giving the viewer the feeling that, rather than looking in on the scene, the viewer is actually taking part in the scene. This, added to the empathy invoked through the delicate, heart-wrenching rendering of the figures in the artwork, let the observer directly interact with the painting and places him/her within the narrative.
I had never heard of the artist Artemisia Gentileschi before this introductory Art course. Of all the paintings and sculptures found within the book, it was her work that stood out and spoke to me. "Judith and Maidservant with the head of Holofernes" is a particularly rich oil painting by the Italian Gentileschi, painted circa 1625 Europe. Her large canvas measures 72 and 1/2 inches by 55 and 3/4 inches and began as a biblical story telling inspiration come to life within the oil. Located at the Detroit Institute of Arts, the painting was a gift to the institute from Art collector Mr. Leslie H. Green in 1952. Artemisia was the daughter of a painter (and caravaggio influenced) Orazio Gentileschi, she was also the wife of little known artist Pierantonio Stiattesi. Artemisia had four sons and one daughter during her marriage. A student of the Chiaroscuro technique and during a time when women were not believed capable of painting competitively and intelligently as the men of the day. Artemisia proved them wrong with stunning work and artistry over her artistic career.
Again, I had difficulty selecting which piece to use for my second piece. Ultimately I selected Temptation, 1880 William-Adolphe Bouguereau. The dimensions are 39x52 inches and is oil on canvas.
Looking at different pieces of art work at the art museum and one-piece in particular impressed me. It’s called “View of Molo”, painted by Giovanni Antonio Canal. Giovanni Canal was born in Venice, Italy in 1697. This particular piece was painted circa 1730-1735. The piece hangs at the El Paso Museum of Art in El Paso, Texas. The painting is part of the permanent collection donated by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation in 1961. The art work was done on canvas using oil. The painting can be found in the Baroque and Rococo Period Gallery.
In addition, scenes from the lives of the Virgin Mary and St. Blaise, a fourth century martyr, are also present. All the characters in the panels more or less have halos and therefore are holy figures. The twelve apostles line the bottom of the panels, perhaps suggesting that they were the foundation of the Catholic religion. Basically, the painting is designed for a church altar, it has religious figures in it, and it is filled with Bibles and images of Christ's crucifixion. All of this relays a strong message to the viewer that this is what is important in life; one should pay close attention to religion and have respect for
Gentileschi’s Judith Slaying Holofernes epitomizes the style of artwork during the Italian Baroque era. By using a Catholic subject and key elements and techniques essential to baroque art such as chiaroscuro and foreshortening, she was able to create a piece that gushes drama and realism. Without the use of all of these elements the effect would be lost, but instead the piece is one that moves the viewer with its direct and gritty realism of the religious subject, evoking emotion in a way that leaves the viewer in awe.
The ability to create a picture of The Annunciation in one’s mind is a key factor in understanding the analysis of the work. Francisco de Zurbaran approaches the painting with a naturalistic style. The painting features a room in which a woman – like angel is seen at the left kneeling on the ground before the Virgin Mary. The figure of Mary is placed between a chair and a small wooden table draped with a green cloth. Mary disregards an open Bible on the table, as she appears solemn while staring at the floor. Floating above the two main figures in the upper left side of the painting are cherubs resting on a bed of clouds. They happily gaze down at Mary with eyes from Heaven.
Looking across the entire triptych certain visual elements can be seen. Lighting is carefully used to highlight many important details in the painting; the dramatic facial expressions of many of the people in this scene are clearly lighted and defined to illustrate the emotions felt by the witnesses. In the left panel of The Raising of the Cross, among the mourners appear to be St. John, another man that seems to be consoling St. John, Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist), St. Mary (the mother of Jesus) and Mary Magdalene (hoocher.com). One of the mourners is actually looking directly at the viewer with a very distraught expression on her face. The mourner that I suspect is St. John in the back appears to be almost nauseous and his face is surrounded by darkness and is subordinate and his face is being emphasized. Also, the rocky background is subordin...
It is called Scenes of Hell Japan, Endo period (1603-1868). The mediums are ink, colors, and paper. It was located at the Newman Museum and was purchased in 1915. Now it is also in the Frist Museum of Visual arts. The specific artist in unknown but was found in Japan. This is a very large painting. Dimensions were not given in the museum. This painting is very dark it has demons blowing fire on dammed souls that were thrown in the fire of heaven. This painting has a lot in common with the installation called ClusterFuck. They both have a dark realism to them. They express death and the consequences of humans choices that they make in their own life. Along with that they do have differences. The installation had light, by that a sweet innocence to it that calmed the darkness down. The painting did not. Figures are distorted and evil looking. The painting had implied lined from the demons to the burning people. It also has more color to it then the installation. The installation had subjects that were just there but in the painting the subjects moved the viewers around the painting. Both were similar by the death aspect but the painting had more color, lines, and more of a story that goes with
Where one is a bronze statue with a singular figure, the other is a painting with a central figure, from which the story is built. However, their contrasts go beyond what they are made of, to their different subjects and their complexity. Donatello’s David shows youthful beauty and strength, which he confidently exudes through his body language. Standing with one foot atop Goliath’s severed head while turning his body to balance his weight to the other leg, this statue is a clear example of Contrapposto, which the Greeks invented and introduced into their sculptures. Donatello’s statue of David stands triumphant and proudly atop his trophy, while telling the audience I am the conqueror of Giants. His expression is stern to match his
One of the very first well-known portrayals of this narrative was by Giotto di Bondone. From around 1304, it is an Early Renaissance painting. Jesus is lying down, cradled by the Virgin Mary, and Mary Magdalene is cares...
“Gassed” by John Singer Sargent was painted in August of 1918 (towards the end of World War I) , but published in 1919, according to the Imperial War Museums Organisation, which is where this painting is now located. This painting was created using oil paints on a canvas, and was 231 cm x 611 cm in size. John Singer Sargent was an American painter who was born in 1856 in Florence, Italy.
Moreover, Gentileschi was found to have always demonstrated the female figures in her artwork to be strong with emotions and power. The medium of Judith Decapitating Holofernes is an oil on canvas. Gentileschi uses only one focal point which is where the blood
The piece that I have chosen is Donatello’s Mary Magdalene, a painted wooden sculpture created in 1455. From first glance, it does not even appear to be Mary Magdalene being depicted in this piece. In most cases, the former prostitute is depicted as she was when she was younger: beautiful, passionate, and fashionable. It is a point of interest to understand why Donatello chose to instead portray Mary Magdalene as the hermit she turns into in her old age. It is believed that this Mary is a way to represent repentance, taking God into your life, and denouncing worldly desires.