Judith and Her Maidservant (Detroit)
Judith and Her Maidservant is one of four paintings by the Italian baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi that depicts the biblical story of Judith and Holofernes. This particular work, executed in about 1623 to 1625, now hangs in the Detroit Institute of Arts. The narrative is taken from the deuterocanonical Book of Judith, in which Judith seduces and then murders the general Holofernes. This precise moment illustrates the maidservant Abra wrapping the severed head in a bag, moments after the murder, while Judith keeps watch. The other three paintings are now shown in the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples, the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, and the Musée de la Castre in Cannes.
| Judith and Maidservant with Head of Holofernes | |
|---|---|
| Artist | Artemisia Gentileschi |
| Year | c. 1623–1625 |
| Medium | oil paint, canvas |
| Dimensions | 72.44 in (184.0 cm) × 55.75 in (141.6 cm) |
| Accession No. | 52.253 |
The 2001 exhibition catalogue on Artemisia Gentileschi and her father Orazio remarked that "the painting is generally recognized as Artemisia's finest work". Others have concurred, and the art historian Letizia Treves concluded that, with this painting, "Artemisia rightly takes her place among the leading artists of the Italian Baroque."