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Judith with the Head of Holofernes
Dimensions	48.1 cm × 36.7 cm (18.9 in × 14.4 in)
Location	National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin

Judith with the Head of Holofernes is a c. 1495 glue tempera on linen painting by Andrea Mantegna, now in the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin. It is in the grisaille style due to its gray scale and illusion of appearing as solid marble.

History

This painting is part of the grisaille production that characterized many works of Mantegna in the later years of his career, from c. 1495 to the end of his life in 1506. These works were made to appear sculptural and were much appreciated in courts. At the time, near Mantua, there was a scarcity of active sculptors and it was difficult to procure marble, which had to be imported from nearby territories.

This artwork exhibits similar techniques, formal and thematic, with Mantegna's painting of Samson and Delilah. It has been hypothesized that they both could have hung together in one of the private rooms of Isabella d'Este in the Ducal Palace of Mantua.

Judith with the Head of Holofernes was acquired by Lewis Strange Wingfield during 1842-1891. Afterwards, it passed into the collection of John Malcolm of Poltalloch in Scotland in 1893. It was then sold in 1896 to the director of the National Gallery of Ireland.

In the first years of its display to the public and to scholars, skepticism about the work circulated, despite the high opinions of Bernard Berenson and Paul Kristeller (both wrote about this piece in 1901). Now, the work is generally attributed to Mantegna, with some reservations from those who hold the work of students and assistants on the painting to have more or less importance.

Thematic Background

This piece shows two figures, Judith (left) also known as the "daughter of Judah" and "the people of Israel" and Abra (on the right), her maidservant. Within the Old Testament of the Bible, Judith is said to have been invited to a feast which Holofernes, an Assyrian general has organized, while he is actively trying to besiege her city, Bethulia. He is overcome by Judith's beauty and after he has become 'dead drunk', he demands that he is met with Judith. One he is incapacited, Judith stains Holofernes 'by the grace of God', decapitating him, and Abra, her maidservant, aids her in disposing of Holofernes head into a bag. This act, in turn saves her city and her people. An additional detail that is not mentioned within the Bible is the maidservants skin colour. This detail alludes to the ideas surrounding race regarding the patrons values at this time.

Description and style

Like Mantegna's other Judith and Holofernes and a c. 1491 drawing of the same subject in the Gabinetto dei disegni e delle stampe in Florence, Judith and her handmaid, Abra, stand before the triangular tent of Holofernes. He was decapitated by Judith, who is holding in her hands a sword and placing his head in a sack held by her handmaid.

Compositional Analysis

The painting uses tones of grey and white highlights, enriched in some places with brown brushstrokes, that accentuate the relief and the painting's illusionistic quality. The whole of the tent is left in shadow with some details emerging from the darkness, like the foot of Holofernes on the bed. The background is mottled like a fake marble. The passages of the drapery and the elegant play of lines in the flag at right, which twists with the wind around itself and the flagpole, are particularly skillful. The difficulty of painting on linen, almost without ground, does not permit corrections or pentimenti. The use of glue tempera so allows for a matte finish to emulate a stone finish, similar to stone sculptures during the renaissance. The use of canvas allows for this painting to be shown within a house, proving its personal qualities, rather than being shown in a public space for public use.

Artistic Analysis

Judith's maidservant, Abra, is a stark contrast to Judith in terms of racial and ethnic class due to the darker skin tone and headdress alluding to her ethnicity being from the East. This shows not only their relationship regarding being of the same gender, but also shows their close relationship despite differing social and racial class. Therefore, the act of helping Judith slay Holofernes and disposing of his head, especially in a calm manner, breaks preconceived racial and class boundaries during the 15th century. Another contrast between the two figures would be their age with Abra, who is an old maidservant with an "ugly demeanor" and Judith with a youthful appearance. This contrast represents the difference in social class as Abra's servitude reassures purity within Judith. This addition of a handmaiden of colour alludes to the theory that this piece may have been commissioned by the Gonzaga family as they were known to have African slaves and serveants and would have wanted a piece to depict a scene with two powerful women. This work most likely would have been in possession of Isabella d'Este due to the feminist themes within this work and how she was said to be the "liberal and magnanimous Isabella" proving her progressive ideas.

Artistic Techniques

Mantegna uses a technique, commonly known as trompe l'oeil or "deceive the eye". Mantegna used glue tempera but also made it illusionistic to appear bronze-like or a stone relief.

External links

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