Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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This piece is called Judith Beheading Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi. It depicts the biblical story of Judith, a jewish widow from the town of Bethulia. When Bethulia is under siege by the Assyrian army, Judith decides to save her people by charming her way into the enemy camp where she goes into the tent of the Assyrian General Holofernes, gets him drunk, and cuts his head off with his own sword.
The story of Judith slaying Holofernes was one of the most popular subjects in 17th-century European art. But Artemisia was especially obsessed with it. Because she made 7 different paintings featuring Judith. And it’s because for her, this wasn’t just some old testament tale of vengeance. This was personal.
Because when Artemisia was 17 years old, she was assaulted by a man named Agostino Tassi. He was a prominent painter, a colleague of her father's and he was married. He was a man she thought she could trust. Her father pressed charges and what followed was a 7-month long trial that was agonizing and humiliating for Artemisia
It’s hard to imagine how all of this made Artemisia feel but maybe we don’t have to because right around the time of her trial, she painted Judith Beheading Holofernes. Thank you for watching!
Credits and Further Reading:
Cohen, E. S. (2000). The Trials of Artemisia Gentileschi: A Rape as History. The Sixteenth Century Journal, 31(1), 47–75. doi.org/10.2307/2671289
https://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/judith-beheading-holofernes
Dr. Esperança Camara, "Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes," in Smarthistory, July 19, 2015, accessed August 8, 2026, smarthistory.org/gentileschi-judith-slaying-holofernes/.
Distant Tension by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?keywords=Distant+Tension&page=0
Artist: incompetech.com
Divertissement by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100256
Artist: incompetech.com
Arcadia - Wonders by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100326
Artist: incompetech.com
Marty Gots a Plan by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1500015
Artist: incompetech.com
Gymnopedie No 1 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100787
Artist: incompetech.com
Ringing in the Ears by hykenfreak -- freesound.org/s/218050 -- License: Attribution 4.0
braying donkey - âne brayant by beskhu -- freesound.org/s/186704 -- License: Attribution 4.0
Gavel - 1 strike with room reverb by odditonic -- freesound.org/s/187706 -- License: Attribution 4.0
GMB Kantilan 1.WAV by anamorphosis -- freesound.org/s/24620 -- License: Sampling+
paper3.wav by XTYL33 -- freesound.org/s/68222 -- License: Creative Commons 0
Smoke and fire effect from Vecteezy
Go behind the painting with Art Deco at BehindThePainting.com
Exclusive videos on the art you love 🎨 🖼️ New content every month!
This piece is called Judith Beheading Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi. It depicts the biblical story of Judith, a jewish widow from the town of Bethulia. When Bethulia is under siege by the Assyrian army, Judith decides to save her people by charming her way into the enemy camp where she goes into the tent of the Assyrian General Holofernes, gets him drunk, and cuts his head off with his own sword.
The story of Judith slaying Holofernes was one of the most popular subjects in 17th-century European art. But Artemisia was especially obsessed with it. Because she made 7 different paintings featuring Judith. And it’s because for her, this wasn’t just some old testament tale of vengeance. This was personal.
Because when Artemisia was 17 years old, she was assaulted by a man named Agostino Tassi. He was a prominent painter, a colleague of her father's and he was married. He was a man she thought she could trust. Her father pressed charges and what followed was a 7-month long trial that was agonizing and humiliating for Artemisia
It’s hard to imagine how all of this made Artemisia feel but maybe we don’t have to because right around the time of her trial, she painted Judith Beheading Holofernes. Thank you for watching!
Credits and Further Reading:
Cohen, E. S. (2000). The Trials of Artemisia Gentileschi: A Rape as History. The Sixteenth Century Journal, 31(1), 47–75. doi.org/10.2307/2671289
https://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/judith-beheading-holofernes
Dr. Esperança Camara, "Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes," in Smarthistory, July 19, 2015, accessed August 8, 2026, smarthistory.org/gentileschi-judith-slaying-holofernes/.
Distant Tension by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?keywords=Distant+Tension&page=0
Artist: incompetech.com
Divertissement by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100256
Artist: incompetech.com
Arcadia - Wonders by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100326
Artist: incompetech.com
Marty Gots a Plan by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1500015
Artist: incompetech.com
Gymnopedie No 1 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100787
Artist: incompetech.com
Ringing in the Ears by hykenfreak -- freesound.org/s/218050 -- License: Attribution 4.0
braying donkey - âne brayant by beskhu -- freesound.org/s/186704 -- License: Attribution 4.0
Gavel - 1 strike with room reverb by odditonic -- freesound.org/s/187706 -- License: Attribution 4.0
GMB Kantilan 1.WAV by anamorphosis -- freesound.org/s/24620 -- License: Sampling+
paper3.wav by XTYL33 -- freesound.org/s/68222 -- License: Creative Commons 0
Smoke and fire effect from Vecteezy
