Judith and Holofernes,

17th century

This depiction of Judith and the slain Holofernes emphasizes the erotic appeal of the ancient Jewish story. The pious Judith has visited the Assyrian commander in his tent, gotten him stuporously drunk, and murdered him, thereby rescuing her town, Bethulia, which was under siege. While celebrating her bravery and virtue, the painting also includes a vanitas theme: Judith’s servant is a crone, a reminder of the fleeting nature of youth and beauty.
Although the artist is unidentified, the technique and unusual pose—emphasizing Judith’s fleshy arm, shoulder, and back— recall the work of Antonio Bellucci (1654–1726). Born in Treviso and active in Venice before being named court painter to Joseph I in Vienna, Bellucci was a prolific, versatile painter who also served the courts of Munich and the Rhineland and traveled to England. He interpreted the Venetian late Baroque style for a wide range of clients, but bare shoulders and upper backs consistently figure in his art.