udith Slaying Holofernes is a Biblically inspired oil painting, sized 6' 6" X 5' 4", created by the Italian Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi between 1614 and 1620. Gentileschi 's composition is inspired by Michelangelo Caravaggio’s rendition of the same scene in Judith Beheading Holofernes (1598–1599). As a Caravaggisti, an artist whose work is strongly influenced by the work of Caravaggio, Gentileschi employs techniques characteristic of Caravaggio’s work using elements of art and principles of design primarily focusing on shape, motion, balance, and light to convey the emotions of brutality, strength, and animosity.
In order to deliver such strong identity to her painting, Gentileschi manipulates negative space to accentuate her
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subjects in the foreground of her painting. The stark black background embraces Judith, her maidservant, and the villain Holofernes casting illumination on Judith's action and thus instilling a mood of heroism within the composition. The positive space is not distinctly separated from the negative space by a blunt line, rather, the negative space merges with the positive at its edges. By overlapping organic masses and using the technique of diminishing size when painting fabric, Gentileschi creates the illusion of depth in her painting. Gentileschi emphasizes the action that title alluded to by using certain focal points throughout the work to create a sense of motion that pulls the eye towards the severed head at the lower center of the painting.
The line of motion is that of a horizontal diamond with the four points of convergence being Holofernes’s right knee, the servant's veil, Judith's head, and most prominently, Holofernes’s neck. The straight angle at which the mattress protrudes from the left side of the composition with a bulk of fabric cascading off the bed directly on the other side of Holofernes’s head enhances the motion, creating the …show more content…
diamond. The sense of visual equilibrium throughout Judith Slaying Holofernes is created by using bilateral symmetry with the maid's servant as the fulcrum or center point of balance with Holofernes’s body and Judith holding down the left and right sides of the painting. The balance of this pieces is influenced by shape, motion, and light. The three elements give the composition the principle of balance. The use of light is perhaps the most radical component to this piece because it saturates the entire painting with the emotion Gentileschi strives to convey to her viewers.
She contrasts light and shadow unevenly across her painting in a technique known as chiaroscuro. The technique is a trademark of her predecessor Caravaggio. With this technique, she illuminates the parts of the painting that form the emotions of brutality, strength, and animosity. The light that falls upon Judith shows the terrible strength with which she which she slays her abuser. On the face of Holofernes, the arms of Judith, and the gaze of the servant, the viewer discerns the level of animosity toward the antagonist radiating from both women. Blood shoots from the throat of Holofernes illustrating the brutal force Judith is putting forth. In lighting, the light is what speaks to one of the deliberate and remorseless attitudes with which Judith beheaded
him. Through the application of the elements of shape, motion, and light and the principle of balance in Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith Slaying Holofernes, she creates an emotional scene unparalleled throughout much of Western paintings. The voice she weaves into her painting insinuates a personal connection to the subject she depicts. The thought she put into the technique she worked with shows undebatable mastery of both the medium she worked in, oil paint, and her knowledge of the elements and principles that govern successful art compositions.
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.
At first glance, the painting is very dark and shadowy convening the message of a sinful world. The chiaroscuro represents that we do not live in a perfect world, there is always evil lingering in the shadows. The main light source in the painting
Masaccio used a technique called linear perspective. This technique allowed Italian artists to measure space so that all the objects in the painting are in proportion to each other. In this painting, Jesus is put intimately close to the scene by using linear perspective. An illusionistic hole is painted into the painted wall and this makes his portrayal more believable. Masaccio also used the technique of tonal modeling which created believable, almost sculptural figures proportionally related to one another to occupy that space. Both of these techniques helps to create good proportions and make the painting more realistic. Another technique that he uses is stage modeling. This means that the holy trinity is meant to be viewed from below and at a distance, like actors on a stage before an audience. In particular, this approach is based on a more human- centered view, locating a single spectator that is standing at a particular spot. In this painting, Jesus is the focus of the painting. In contrast, the Annunciation panel (from the Merode Triptych), which was painted by Robert Campin uses other techniques that greatly change the way the painting is
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.
With the number of people losing faith in Catholicism during the Protestant Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church needed to find a way to reaffirm the catholic faith in people, and because many of the people during this time were illiterate, the church needed a universal method of communication. Art, being a media that only need to be seen in order to be understood, was used to portray very direct, passionate and realistic, mostly religious scenes that could be understood by anyone regardless of literacy of social status. In order to accomplish this, Gentileschi does not paint idealized figures, like that of the earlier renaissance paintings, instead the subjects are simple, more full figured and dressed in simple garments which appealed to even the most common people. Painted with chiaroscuro adds grandeur to the piece and this coupled with foreshortening creates a sense of movement and energy which rounded out the illusion that makes the viewer feel as if they are in the very same room witness to the act.
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...
But first let me tell of the rooms in which it was held. These were seven—an imperial suite. In many palaces, however, such suites form a long and straight vista, while the folding doors slide back nearly to the walls on either hand, so that the view of the whole extent is scarcely impeded. Here the case was very different, as might have been expected from the duke’s love of the bizarre. The apartments were so irregularly disposed that the vision embraced but little more than one at a time. There was a sharp turn at every twenty or thirty yards, and at each turn a novel effect. To the right and left, in the middle of each wall, a tall and narrow Gothic window looked out upon a closed corridor which pursued the windings of the suite. These windows were of stained glass whose colour varied in accordance with the prevailing hue of the decorations of the chamber into which it opened. That at the eastern extremity was hung, for example in blue—and vividly blue were its windows. The second chamber was purple in its ornaments and tapestries, and here the panes were purple. The third was green throughout, and so were the casements. The fourth was furnished and lighted with orange—the fifth with white—the sixth with violet. The seventh apartment was closely shrouded in black velvet tapestries that hung all over the ceiling and down the walls, falling in heavy folds upon a carpet of the same material and hue. But in this chamber only, the
The background of the painting is dark with hues of browns and reds. Light enters the painting from the left and can be seen on the tiled floor. The lighting helps to create the diagonal composition as it moves across the lower half of the painting. The contrast of light also creates space between the man and the woman fainting; symbolizing a disconnect between the two figures. The use of space is also interesting, Ahsauerus is alone and is enclosed in a corner, while Esther is being held by two other woman who are physically very close to her, not allowing any space between their clothes, suggesting a nurturing characteristic that is often stereotyped among
In his Crucifixion, with the Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist Mourning (c.1460), a piece within the Northern Renaissance collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rogier van der Weyden portrays a stark image of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The right panel of the diptych depicts the gruesome image of a crucified Christ. Weight pulls the emaciated body down into a Y-shape, contrasting the T-shape of the cross it is mounted on. The only movement comes from the loincloth wrapped around Christ’s waist that dances in the wind. Blood visibly trickles from the corpse’s wounds. Behind the body, a red cloth is draped down the grey wall. At the base of the cross sits a skull and bone. The left panel portrays the Virgin Mary swooning in despair as Saint John attempts to support her weight. Her hands are clasped in prayer as she gazes up at her lifeless son. Both figures are clothed in pale draping robes. The vibrant red of the cloth that hangs from the grey wall in the background contrasts the subdued colors of the
While paintings in the Renaissance and beyond still had a ways to go in terms of technique and perspective, the progress made in Italy during this time period was astounding. Painters were able to convey emotions and feelings like never before, showing the world that they could transport them to scenes they had only seen in flat, Byzantine images. In a time of straining to make art look real, the use of perspective was the key.
Caravaggio’s painting is unique due to its wonderful use of chiaroscuro, which is the contrast between light and dark. For example, the painting “Supper at Emmaus (1602)” illustrates Jesus and his disciples in bright colors and uses a dark tint for the background (Miller, Vandome, & McBrewster, 2010).
I chose “The Martyrdom of St. Matthew” as the painting that best illustrates the baroque period. The reasons surrounding my decision are clear in Caravaggio’s painting. Here Caravaggio uses the entire canvas to illustrate complexity, flow, and chiaroscuro. The painting depicts the source of lighting to be coming from the left side of the plane. The brightest light focuses directly on Matthew’s executioner who intends to strike Matthew with an old balcanic hand weapon. Caravaggio masterfully illustrates the use of lighting by casting believable shadows. As an example, the shadow of the handle on balcanic hand weapon reflects on the executioner’s left thigh and knee. Another shadow appears on the executioner’s right inner thigh. The lighting source to the left of the executioner, the executioner, St. Matthews, the boy, the 2 observer’s bottom, right, and the fainter lighting upper left of the canvas illustrates the technique of visual movement. The lighting is placed strategically, causing visual movement within the piece. For example, the illumination of the executioner’s forearm directs my attention to the angel who appears to be handing St. Matthew a palm leaf. As a result, my eyes then focuses on the body of St. Matthew, lying on the bottom of the altar, then my eyes shifts up toward the Angle’s arm. The lighting on the angel's arm contrasted with the darkness of the palm leaf forces the viewer to look at the hand to see what St. Matthew is reaching for. The boy fleeing the scene further draws in the viewer. The two adult observers at the bottom right of the painting are illuminated but not as bright as the two main characters. Next, my attention is drawn to the man lying on the bottom steps, left side of the canv...
The image of Judith and her maidservant beheading Holofernes is spotlighted with a complete wall of shadow behind them. The utter darkness behind the characters adds to the brightness of the scene, emphasizing the brightness of Judith’s dress and the sheen of Holofernes’ blood. The rich coloring of the painting is incredible as well, making such a horrific scene beautiful. Gentileschi also uses line in a way that lends to the intensity of the scene. The tension in each of the characters’ bodies is notable, it is clear in the way Judith and her maidservant lean in to their murderous act and the way Holofernes is pushing them away and straining futilely away from the
Doing so is also much more realistic because light is not something that is static, but is always changing depending on how the viewer is looking. This same technique can also be seen in the painting done by Caravaggio named Crucifixion of Saint Peter, which was also was done in the 17th century. Both works incorporate many dark spaces with a single light source that alludes to the sense of a divine presence. An example of this presence is visible through the father and son having a very strong source of light being casted upon them. The variation of lightness and darkness can also be seen as emotional differences in the work.