Romanticism vs. Realism

    

 Baroque Era 

                                                                                            Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1599 by Caravaggio

        The painting, Judith Beheading Holofernes was painted by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. Caravaggio was an Italian painter who painted in Rome most of his life but also painted in Naples, Sicily, and Malta. He painted from 1593 until the year he died, in 1610. This art piece was created in 1599 while he was in Rome.

Caravaggio (Study.com)

          I find this piece to be very dramatic and it shows a great deal of emotions. The painting represents the Biblical story of Judith who beheaded an Assyrian general named Holofernes to save her people from tyranny. In this painting we can see Judith, the young, pretty, fragile woman pulling the man’s hair to hold his head while she heaves the knife into Holofernes’ throat. You can see by the look on Judith’s face, the way her eyebrows are painted, she is uncomfortable with the situation but is determined to get the job done. Caravaggio has painted her with lighter and brighter colors which shows that she is the focus of the painting.

Now, if we look at Holofernes, he seems to lay helpless on the bed even though he is a strong man because he is most likely drunk. His arms are painted as though the light reflects off them and shows us his muscles. The amount of detail in his face, the way is eyes and mouth are painted wide open, you can almost feel the fear and shock he is feeling at that moment. 

Then there is an elderly servant standing off to the side who appears to be holding a sack to put his head in. She looks as though she is leaning forward ready for it to be over. She has a look on her face that seems to say, “Come on, come on, let’s get this done”. Not only in her face but you can see it in the way she is holding the bag with such a tight grip as if she is waiting in anticipation. 

I picked this painting because it just seemed to speak to me. It draws on so many emotions. The implication of movement in it makes it seem as though I am watching this happen in real life. This painting demonstrates a great deal of what is found in Baroque art. It shows intense emotion, movement, diagonals, contrasts of light, and a direct focus. It also shows instability through how Holofernes is laying on the bed but appears to be ready to fall off. It feels very real.

In 1620, the painting was recreated by Artemisia Gentileschi and hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. While this painting is of the same situation, it shows a far more active scene. The old woman is no longer part of the scene just looking on. Instead, you see two women helping each other while Holofernes struggles on the bed. If compared side-by-side, I still prefer the original by Caravaggio. 

                                                                    (Caravaggio)                (Gentileschi)

Esperanca Camara, Dr. Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/baroque-art1/baroque-italy/a/gentileschi-judith-slaying-holofernes

Caravaggio-foundation.org. Biography of Caravaggio

https://www.caravaggio-foundation.org/biography.html

Caravaggio.org. Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1599 by Caravaggio

https://www.caravaggio.org/judith-beheading-holofernes.jsp