Judith with the Head of Holofernes

Judith with the Head of Holofernes

Title

Judith with the Head of Holofernes

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, 54, No. 34]

Painting on fir

Medium

Painting on fir

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, no. 34]

Judith stands, facing to the left, behind a marble balustrade on which the head of Holofernes rests. She smiles gently at the viewer while grasping the head with her left hand and holding a sword in her right hand. She is wearing a green velvet dress decorated with eleborate gold

Judith stands, facing to the left, behind a marble balustrade on which the head of Holofernes rests. She smiles gently at the viewer while grasping the head with her left hand and holding a sword in her right hand. She is wearing a green velvet dress decorated with eleborate gold brocade, a neckband, a double chain and a red hat with a plume over a hairnet decorated with pearls. A dark curtain in the background creates an appealing contrast to Judith's almost white flesh paint and reveals a narrow strip of landscape to the left beyond the back wall of the room.

[Görres, cda 2014]

Attribution
Master IW

Attribution

Master IW

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, 54, no. 34]
[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2016, 144, no. 19]

Production dates
about 1525
after 1526

Production dates

about 1525

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, 54, no. 34][Exhib. Cat. Prague 2016, 144, no. 19]

after 1526

[cda 2014]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 77.7 x 56.6 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 77.7 x 56.6 cm

  • [Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, No. 34]

Signature / Dating

None

Owner
Královská kanonie premonstrátu na Strahove, Praha (Royal Canonry of Premonstratensians at Strahov, Prague)
Repository
Královská kanonie premonstrátu na Strahove, Praha (Royal Canonry of Premonstratensians at Strahov, Prague)
Location
Prague
CDA ID
CZ_KKPSP_O626
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/CZ_KKPSP_O626/

Provenance

  • in the Strahov Picture Gallery catalogue it is recorded among the group of paintings purchased in the first half of the 19th century from the collection of governor councillor Janko (Danko?)
  • 1941 it was lent to the National Gallery in Prague (inventory no. DO 1055)
  • 1957 the Religious Matrix in Prague donated the painting to the National Gallery (inv.no. 7265)
  • 1992 the painting returned to the original owner
    [Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, No. 34]

Exhibitions

Prague 2005, no. 34
Prague 2016, no. 19

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Prague 2016 39, 140-145 19 Figs. pp. 39, 140, 141
EditorOlga Kotková
TitleCranach. Ze všech stran. From all sides.
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication2016
Pages16-180
Show Literature
Görres, Heydenreich, Kotková 2016 9
AuthorOlga Kotková, Gunnar Heydenreich, Daniel Görres
TitleIntroduction
Publicationin Olga Kotková, ed., Cranach. Ze všech stran. From all sides., Exhib. Cat. Prague
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication2016
Pages11-17
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005 124, 125 (English versioin 47) 34 Pl. p. 125
EditorObrazárna Pražského hradu, Kaliopi Chamonikola
TitlePod znamením okrídleného hada. Lucas Cranach a ceské zeme. Under the winged Serpent. Lucas Cranach and the Czech Land
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication2005
Show Literature
Kesner 2005 34, 37 (English version 16)
AuthorLadislav Kesner
TitleCranachuv zák - Mistr IW/ The pupil of Cranach - Master IW
Publicationin Kaliopi Chamonikola, ed., Pod znamením okrídleného hada. Lucas Cranach a ceské zeme, Under the winged Serpent, Lucas Cranach and the Czech Lands, Exhib. Prague 2005
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication2005
Pages34-41 (16-18)
Show Literature
Kyzourová 1996 B 265-267
AuthorIvana Kyzourová
TitlePrispevky k dílu Mistra IW
Volume44
JournalUmeni
Year of Publication1996
Pages261-270
Show Literature
Kyzourová, Kalina 1993 202-203
AuthorIvana Kyzourová, Pavel Kalina
TitleStrahovská obrazárna od gotiky k romantismu. Vybrnaá díla ze sbírek klástera premonstrátu ne Strahove
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication1993
Show Literature
Matejcek 1931 15
AuthorA. Matejcek
TitleNepoznaný obraz monogramisty IW v Praze
JournalKniha o Praze. Prazský Almanach
Place of PublicationPrague
IssueII
Year of Publication1931
Show Literature
Mádl 1902 406
AuthorKarel B. Mádl
TitleZe strahovské obrarzány
JournalZlatá Praha
Issue19
Year of Publication1902
Show Literature
Cat. Prague 1836 974
AuthorJohann Gottfried Zeidler
TitleHaupt-Catalog der Gemaelde-Gallerie des königl. Praemonstratenser-Stiftes Strahow
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication1836
Show Literature
  • Judith with the Head of Holofernes, about 1525

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
  • irr
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail

Technical studies

06. 2014Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared Reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid, black medium and brush

Type/Ductus:

- freehand underdrawing

- thin lines

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; lines delineate contours and describe facial features; no representation of volume

Deviations:

- minor alterations made during the painting process to clearly define form

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- not possible; could be Master IW or workshop?

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2014]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

Conservation History

Date1972

  • conservation treatment by Mojmír Hamsík

Versions

Judith
  • Judith, about 1530
  • PRIVATE_NONE-P214
  • Painting
  • Private Collection

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Judith with the Head of Holofernes', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/CZ_KKPSP_O626/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Judith with the Head of Holofernes', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/CZ_KKPSP_O626/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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