Summary Of Judith Slaying Holofernes

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Another topic mentioned by Susan Vreeland in the story was Gentileschi’s paintings of Judith, a Jewish woman who beheaded the Assyrian general Holofernes because his army had destroyed her city. In the novel, Artemisia initially painted the heroine beheading the general in 1612 after she heard that Agostino was planning on murdering his wife to marry her (Vreeland 27). Then while in Florence, she painted the scene again in 1615, following her admission into the Accademia, as a gift to Cosimo de Medici (Vreeland 112). The latter version has the same composition, but some of the details were different. In the newer painting, Judith was adorned in gold from her dress to her added accessories and there was a greater emphasis on the blood. After Artemisia had given …show more content…

This time, the artist depicted a scene after Judith had killed her enemy. On page 123, Artemisia then presented this painting at the Palazzo Pitti. It was during this event where she first met Galileo Galilei who complemented her work (Vreeland 125).
Artemisia Gentileschi produced three versions of Judith during her lifetime. In 1612, she painted Judith Slaying Holofernes which was either or during or after the rape trial of Tassi (Brash and Parker). As mentioned by Larry Brash and Christine Parker, Judith and Her Maid Servant, the next depiction of the heroine (which shows a scene after the beheading of Holofernes), was made in 1613 in Florence. They also stated that Judith’s final appearance in the work of Artemisia Gentileschi was in 1620. The final painting, the second version of Judith Slaying Holofernes, has the same composition as the first but some of the details are different. Judith is seen wearing a gold dress and

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