Judith with the Head of Holofernes
Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1530
The Bible relates how Judith saved her people in a war with the Assyrians by seducing their general Holofernes and cutting off his head.
Cranach portrays Judith as a wise and self-assured woman, elegantly clad and holding the blood-stained sword in a restrained but triumphant manner. She wears contemporary dress; and the landscape visible in the distance contains buildings consistent with Cranach's own surroundings. This picture is treated like a portrait rather than a history painting.
More information
Title of artwork, date
Judith with the Head of Holofernes, 1530
Date supported
1995
Medium and material
Oil on panel
Dimensions
76.7 x 55.8 cm
Grant
50000
Total cost
314663
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