Thursday, November 20, 2014

Judith Beheading Holofernes, Caravaggio





Judith Beheading Holofernes was painted in 1598-99 by Caravaggio in the studio of his father. Now this painting is on the  Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica at Palazzo Barberini, in Rome.


Bild-Ottavio Leoni, Caravaggio.jpg
Caravaggio
This painting is 144 cm x 195 cm. It shows a dead general (Holofernes) beheaded by Judith, the woman who seduced him in less than one night. This painting provoked reactions of horror and surprise to the visitors from its first headquarters, as Caravaggio managed to give the work of great realism and rawness. Juditt is shown standing majestic and unmoved, while her maid, who gives her the sword, is nervous and waiting for what might happen.

Judith Beheading Holofernes by Caravaggio.jpg
Judith Beheading Holofernes

It has a Baroque style. The Baroque is often thought of as period or artistic style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature, dance, and music. The style began around 1600 in Rome, Italy and spread to most of Europe.

The beheading of Holofernes was a favourite subject of the age, depicted by such names as Donatello, Sandro Botticelli, Andrea Mantegna, Giorgione, Artemisia Gentileschi, and Lucas Cranach the Elder, among many others. Caravaggio's approach was, typically, to choose the moment of greatest dramatic impact, the moment of the decapitation itself.

Sources:

- http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judit_y_Holofernes_%28Caravaggio%29
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Beheading_Holofernes_%28Caravaggio%29
- http://www.artecreha.com/Iconograf%C3%ADa/judith-y-holofernes.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroque
- https://www.google.es/imghp?hl=es&tab=wi&ei=NzZuVMGGE4mgyQSmjIL4Bg&ved=0CAQQqi4oAg





2 comments:

Paqui Pérez Fons said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Paqui Pérez Fons said...

Hello,
These are my comments and corrections to your text:
Judith Beheading Holofernes was painted in 1598-99 by caravaggio in the studio of his father. Now this painting is on the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica at Palazzo Barberini, in Rome.

This painting is 144 cm x 195 cm. It shows a dead general, (Holofernes) beheaded by Judith, the woman who seduced him in less than one night. This painting provoked reactions of horror and surprise to the visitors (from its first headquarters), as Caravaggio managed to give the work (of) great realism and rawness. Juditt is shown standing majestic and unmoved, while her maid, who gives her the sword, is nervous and waiting for what might happen.
It belongs to Baroque style. The Baroque is often thought of as period or artistic style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature, dance, and music. The style began around 1600 in Rome, Italy, and spread to most of Europe.

The beheading of Holofernes was a favourite subject of the age, depicted by such names as Donatello, Sandro Botticelli, Andrea Mantegna, Giorgione, Artemisia Gentileschi, and Lucas Cranach the Elder, among many others. Caravaggio's approach was, typically, to choose the moment of greatest dramatic impact, the moment of the decapitation itself.

You haven’t talked about the Baroque features of the painting: colours, composition, chiaroscuro… This work deserves only 5 points.