Judith with the head of Holofernes

Judith with the head of Holofernes

Titles

Judith with the head of Holofernes

[CDA 2012]

Judith

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, No. 234]

Jael kills Sissera

[Schuchardt 1851 C, 24]

Painting on beech wood (Fagus sp.)

Medium

Painting on beech wood (Fagus sp.)

[Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten, Berlin - Brandenburg, revised 2011]

The painting depicts the old testament heroin Judith as a half-length figure in contemporary dress. She is inclined slightly to the left and holds a sword in her right hand. In her left hand she holds the decapitated head of Holoferenes, which lies on a sort of balustrade in front

The painting depicts the old testament heroin Judith as a half-length figure in contemporary dress. She is inclined slightly to the left and holds a sword in her right hand. In her left hand she holds the decapitated head of Holoferenes, which lies on a sort of balustrade in front of her.

The background is dark, but the window on the right indicates that she is standing in a room. The window opens out onto a mountainous landscape with a castle.

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten, Berlin - Brandenburg, revised 2011]

Production date
1530

Production date

1530

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 74.9 x 56 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 74.9 x 56 cm

  • [Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten, Berlin - Brandenburg, revised 2011]

Signature / Dating
Artist's insignia below the window: winged serpent (with elevated wings) and date '1530'

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia below the window: winged serpent (with elevated wings) and date '1530'

Owner
Stiftung Preussische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg
Repository
Grunewald hunting lodge
Location
Grunewald
CDA ID
DE_SPSG_GKI1182
FR (1978) Nr.
FR234
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SPSG_GKI1182/

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Prague 2016 . 145
EditorOlga Kotková
TitleCranach. Ze všech stran. From all sides.
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication2016
Pages16-180
Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011 . 25-26 Fig. 6
AuthorMartin Schawe
EditorBayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen
TitleCranach in Bayern
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2011
Schade, Schuttwolf 1994 . 52
AuthorWerner Schade, Allmuth Schuttwolf
TitleMalerei und Plastik
Publicationin Allmuth Schuttwolf, ed., Gotteswort und Menschenbild. Werke von Cranach und seinen Zeitgenossen, Exhib. Cat. Gotha
Place of PublicationGotha
Year of Publication1994
Pages15-94
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 . 117 No. 234 Fig. 234
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Börsch-Supan 1974 .
AuthorHelmut Börsch-Supan
TitleCranachs "Judith" in der Sammlung des Jagdschlosses Grunewald
Publicationin Dieter Koepplin, ed., Lukas Cranach. Gemälde, Zeichnungen, Druckgraphik ; Ausstellung im Kunstmuseum Basel, 15. Juni bis 8. September 1974
Place of PublicationBasel, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1974
Pages413-418
Exhib. Cat. Basel 1974/1976 . 413-420 No. 286 Figs. 229, 230
AuthorDieter Koepplin, Tilman Falk
TitleLukas Cranach. Gemälde, Zeichnungen und Druckgraphik
Volume1, 2
Place of PublicationBasel, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1974
Link http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-diglit-104522
Schade 1974 . Fig. 157
AuthorWerner Schade
TitleDie Malerfamilie Cranach
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1974
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schade1974
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 . 193
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1932
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/friedlaender1932
Schuchardt 1851 C . 24 34
AuthorChristian Schuchardt
TitleLucas Cranach des Aeltern Leben und Werke. Zweiter Theil
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1851
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schuchardt1851bd2

Research History / Discussion

This painting was erroneously entitled ‚Jael‘ by Friedländer and Rosenberg in their monograph from 1932, because the overpaint covered the figure’s attribute of the sword and showed her holding a hammer and nail instead.

In the revised edition from 1979 the painting was already correctly listed as ‘Judith’. An x-radiograph had revealed the extent of the overpaint. However the illustration of the painting shows its condition before restoration.

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932, 66, No. 193]

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 117, No. 234]

  • Judith with the head of Holofernes, 1530

Images

Compare images
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Conservation History

Date1979 -

Remove of overpaintings

[Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011, 25-26]

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/DE_SPSG_GKI1182/ (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/DE_SPSG_GKI1182/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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