Judith with the Head of Holofernes

"Judith with the Head of Holofernes" is a profound painting created between 1495 and 1500, jointly attributed to the renowned Italian masters Andrea Mantegna and Giulio Campagnola. This late fifteenth-century devotional work, executed with painstaking precision in tempera on a poplar panel, captures the biblical heroine Judith immediately following her act of courage. The subject matter, highly popular during this era, symbolizes faith and virtuous resistance against tyranny. The painting exemplifies the detailed, classicizing style characteristic of the Renaissance movement spanning 1401 to 1500 in Northern Italy.

The composition focuses tightly on Judith, depicted standing in a centralized position, often interpreted as emerging from the tent where the deed occurred. She holds the sword of Holofernes and a cloth-wrapped object which contains the general’s head, while her attendant waits in the background. The demanding medium of tempera on wood required remarkable control, resulting in the sharp contours, sculptural forms, and meticulous attention to classical drapery that defined Mantegna’s influence.

While the monumental figures and antique references strongly echo Mantegna’s workshop methods, the refined handling of subtle transitions in color and light suggests the involvement of Campagnola. The younger artist’s touch, possibly evident in the finishing layers, marks this piece as a significant example of artistic transition during the turn of the sixteenth century. This celebrated Italian panel painting is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Because of its age and stature as a core work of the Renaissance, high-resolution images and prints of the piece are frequently made accessible via public domain initiatives, allowing scholars worldwide to study the collaborative genius behind this remarkable depiction of Judith.