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    Judith Beheading Holofernes-Caravaggio: Andrea Restrepo Orozco

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    andrewps
    Caravaggio's painting Judith Beheading Holofernes portrays the biblical story of Judith slaying the oppressive Holofernes to save her people. The author argues that Caravaggio used this scene to represent liberty and the weak overcoming the strong, as well as a reminder of women triumphing over tyrannical men. Judith is portrayed as young, innocent, and beautiful despite committing the gruesome act. Her pristine white clothes symbolize her virginity and the loss of innocence required to gain Holofernes' trust. The painting was inspired by the sexual abuse suffered by female artist Artemisia Gentileschi and represents revenge against the oppression and rape

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    Judith Beheading Holofernes-Caravaggio: Andrea Restrepo Orozco

    Uploaded by

    andrewps
    30 views2 pages
    Caravaggio's painting Judith Beheading Holofernes portrays the biblical story of Judith slaying the oppressive Holofernes to save her people. The author argues that Caravaggio used this scene to represent liberty and the weak overcoming the strong, as well as a reminder of women triumphing over tyrannical men. Judith is portrayed as young, innocent, and beautiful despite committing the gruesome act. Her pristine white clothes symbolize her virginity and the loss of innocence required to gain Holofernes' trust. The painting was inspired by the sexual abuse suffered by female artist Artemisia Gentileschi and represents revenge against the oppression and rape

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    Judith Beheading Holofernes

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    Caravaggio's painting Judith Beheading Holofernes portrays the biblical story of Judith slaying the oppressive Holofernes to save her people. The author argues that Caravaggio used this scene to represent liberty and the weak overcoming the strong, as well as a reminder of women triumphing over tyrannical men. Judith is portrayed as young, innocent, and beautiful despite committing the gruesome act. Her pristine white clothes symbolize her virginity and the loss of innocence required to gain Holofernes' trust. The painting was inspired by the sexual abuse suffered by female artist Artemisia Gentileschi and represents revenge against the oppression and rape

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    30 views2 pages

    Judith Beheading Holofernes-Caravaggio: Andrea Restrepo Orozco

    Uploaded by

    andrewps
    Caravaggio's painting Judith Beheading Holofernes portrays the biblical story of Judith slaying the oppressive Holofernes to save her people. The author argues that Caravaggio used this scene to represent liberty and the weak overcoming the strong, as well as a reminder of women triumphing over tyrannical men. Judith is portrayed as young, innocent, and beautiful despite committing the gruesome act. Her pristine white clothes symbolize her virginity and the loss of innocence required to gain Holofernes' trust. The painting was inspired by the sexual abuse suffered by female artist Artemisia Gentileschi and represents revenge against the oppression and rape

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    Andrea Restrepo Orozco.

    Judith Beheading Holofernes- Caravaggio


    “Judith symbolizes Liberty, the act of the weak winning over the strong and powerful, a
    sing of rebellion against oppression, which represents virtue and chastity. But most
    importantly, a reminder of women triumphing over tyrannical men.”

    Liberty was and still is a concept of the most utmost importance in society, and such
    approach seems to be represented on Caravaggio´s piece of work, the story of Judith and
    Holofernes portrayed in the painting appears to emerge from the biblical tale itself, in this
    tale Judith a widow and alluring woman sets herself up to saving the Jewish who have lost
    all faith on earning freedom and have stopped resisting the army oppressing them. By
    beheading Holofernes, Judith displays an act in which she parts with what was holding her,
    in this case referring to the ruling army holding her people. From my own perspective and
    analysis Caravaggio chose the beheading scene of the story in order to show a bigger
    statement of the liberty earned. The feeling broadcasted by these obscene, yet somehow
    brave action is one of fearlessness and determination, making the audience feel some
    amount of confidence about themselves, especially in women and young girls.

    And this takes us to the following asservation; parting from the common presumption that
    most biblical figures portray conservatory and sexist ideas, id like to think of Judith as a
    feminist symbol too early for the age she was written and painted in, by the clothes
    displayed on Caravaggio´s painting, it can be inferred roughly the time in history this tale is
    taking place, it is common knowledge women had little to no voice in these historical
    settings so Judith´s bravery and sacrifice places an even bigger value for herself in the
    painting and the symbol she portrays for the audience at the time and age the painting was
    released. By the simple act of the author exposing a female icon slaughtering an historically
    authoritative male figure and another female icon assisting on the slaying, it serves as a
    reminder of women triumphing over tyrannical men.

    Vulnerability and innocence; Judith´s facial expression shows discomfort and disgust, a
    sign of her prevailing innocence despite the gruesome practice, her clothes seem to be the
    only clear color on the scenery, a vibrant white that represents virginity and womanhood,
    along with small and defined facial features, she appears young and childish yet beautiful,
    also a symbol of naiveness. All this together with a vigorous red cloth in the background
    makes the contrast idea of the loss of that innocence, almost like her virginity was lost, this
    also derives from the fact that in the previously mentioned biblical tale Judith hands over
    herself fully using her beauty and youth to Holofernes in order to gain his trust, it can be
    inferred that sexual intercourse was a must for powerful corrupt men at that time.
    Furthermore, Artemisia Gentileschi a famous female artist in the 17th century, painted her
    own version of Caravaggio´s work of art to make a statement about the sexual abuse and
    rape she suffered in her youthful years, seeing Judith´s story as parallel with her situation,
    The brutal depiction in the monumental Judith Slaying Holofernes is often interpreted as a
    painted revenge for the rape women have had to suffer.

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