The Book of Judith in the Old Testament tells the story of the jewess Judith, who impressed the assyrian ruler Holofernes with her beauty after he had occupied the jewish town of Bethulia. Judith takes advantage of this and murders the drunk Holofernes. A young woman dressed in a dark
The Book of Judith in the Old Testament tells the story of the jewess Judith, who impressed the assyrian ruler Holofernes with her beauty after he had occupied the jewish town of Bethulia. Judith takes advantage of this and murders the drunk Holofernes. A young woman dressed in a dark dress and wearing a dark hat with white feathers stands against a dark monochrome background. The dress is embroidered with gold and around her neck she wears a band and a chain. She holds a sword in her right hand and in her left hand she grasps the curls on the forehead of the decapitated head of a bearded man lying on a plate.
The Cranach workshop painted numerous versions of this subject. The versions closest to the Wörlitz painting are a version in the Metropolitan Museum New York and one in the National Gallery Dublin. To the left of the head of Holofernes is the signature and date 15 AD 25. This later addition served to associate the painting with the artist Albrecht Dürer who was highly esteemed in the 18th century.
[Kulturstiftung Dessau Wörlitz; http://museum-digital.de/san/index.php?t=objekt&oges=36113; accessed 30 March 2015]
- Attributions
-
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder
Lucas Cranach the Elder
Attributions
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder | [Melzer 2005, 54, 58 Fn. 28] [Kulturstiftung Dessau Wörlitz; http://museum-digital.de/san/index.php?t=objekt&oges=36113; accessed 30 March 2015] |
Lucas Cranach the Elder |
- Production date
- about 1530
Production date
about 1530 | [Exhib. Cat. Lübeck 2021, no. 37] [Kulturstiftung Dessau Wörlitz, accessed 30.03.2015][Melzer 2005, 54, 58 Fn. 28] |
- Dimensions
- Dimensions of support: 41.8 x 29.2 / 28.8 (top / bottom) x 1 cm
Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 41.8 x 29.2 / 28.8 (top / bottom) x 1 cm
[cda 2015]
- Signature / Dating
At the left beside the head of Holofernes signature added later '15 AD 25', not original.
Signature / Dating
At the left beside the head of Holofernes signature added later '15 AD 25', not original.
- Inscriptions and Labels
Reverse of the support, at the bottom, left: remains of three red seals
[Görres, cda 2015]
Inscriptions and Labels
Stamps, Seals, Labels:
Reverse of the support, at the bottom, left: remains of three red seals
[Görres, cda 2015]
- Owner
- Kulturstiftung Dessau Wörlitz
- Repository
- Kulturstiftung Dessau Wörlitz, Gotisches Haus (The Gothic House)
- Location
- Wörlitz
- CDA ID
- DE_KsDW_I-54
- FR (1978) Nr.
- FR-none
- Persistent Link
- https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_KsDW_I-54/