Judith and Her Maidservant (Correggio) explained

Judith and Her Maidservant
Other Title 1:Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes
Wikidata:Q3769183
Artist:Correggio
Year:between 1510 and 1514
Medium:oil on panel (poplar)
Movement:Italian Renaissance
Cinquecento
History painting
Subject:Judith beheading Holofernes
Height Metric:30
Width Metric:22
Dimensions Ref:[1]
Metric Unit:cm
Museum:Musée des Beaux-Arts
City:Strasbourg
Accession:1892

Judith and Her Maidservant or Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes is an oil painting on panel executed circa 1510–1514 by the Italian Renaissance painter Correggio, now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts of Strasbourg, France. Its inventory number is 252.[2]

Details such as Judith's hairstyle date the work to Correggio's early period. Its subject matter was often painted by Correggio's master Mantegna, whilst its chiaroscuro effect laid the foundations for the noted "nocturnes" by Caravaggio.[3]

Its first definite appearance in the historical record dates to 1892, when Wilhelm von Bode bought it for its present owner. It was soon attributed to Correggio. There is a reference to a "half-length" Judith "in mock-night" in a Gonzaga inventory of 1627 which may be identifiable with the work, as may a number of mentions of a Correggio "Herodias", possibly a mistake for Judith in the c.1510 work.[4]

References

  1. Book: Roy . Alain . De Giotto à Goya. Peintures italiennes et espagnoles du musée des Beaux-Arts de Strasbourg . June 2017 . Musées de la ville de Strasbourg . 978-2-35125-151-5 . 116–117.
  2. Book: Jacquot . Dominique . Le musée des Beaux-Arts de Strasbourg. Cinq siècles de peinture . 2006 . Musées de Strasbourg . Strasbourg . 2-901833-78-0 . 66–67.
  3. Giuseppe Adani, Correggio pittore universale, Silvana Editoriale, Correggio 2007.
  4. Web site: Fondazione Correggio entry.

External links