Historical-Gender Analysis Based on paintings Narration of Judith with Emphasis on Artemisia Gentileschi`s Florentine Version

Abstract

Judith is a female character in the Bible, the Old Testament who was able to free her occupied city by killing Holofernes, the Assyrian general. This narration has been the subject of numerous works of art throughout history. One of the most important and most controversial example of this collection are the works by Artemisia Gentileschi, female painter of the Baroque era. The painter has four approved versions of it in her repertoire, and the Florentines version is the main focus point in present paper. Present study aims to analysis and compare visual narrations of such theme in various works of several painters and works of Artemisia based on their historical context. One of this painters is Caravaggio whom Artemisia is his fallower. The question that arises is: in comparison to other painters, how Artemisia`s gender and her life`s events affected her choice and expression of such subject? Despite the solidarity of the story, the results indicated that besides stylistic and historical circumstances, other factors including gender and author`s biography have been effective in formation of her Florentine version; Especially considering the fact that this subject is considered among the power and heroines subject`s category.

Keywords

• judith and holofernes
• artemisia gentileschi
• caravaggio
• baroque
• gender