In this artwork, how is the History discussed?
Gentileschi was one of many artists who used Judith as a prominent and recurring subject throughout the Baroque period. In fact, Orazio Gentileschi, Artemisia Gentileschi's father, painted Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes c. 1610. Both artists assign the scene with a sense of urgency by choosing moments within the story that are filled with tension.
This similarity in theme and composition may have been due to the work of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, whose style so influenced the Gentileschi's. His famous depiction of Judith Beheading Holofernes from the late 16th century focused more on the conflict than previously seen.The Uffizi Judith was commissioned by Grand Duke Cosimo II de' Medici who was responsible for art patronage at the Medici court. Presumably, Cosimo had seen the original Naples Judith and requested a variation to be made for his wife, Maria Magdalena. The painting would ultimately be included in a larger collection of artworks at the Pitti Palace which portrayed biblical heroines. Gentileschi received 50 scudi as payment for her work.In the late 1700s, a Grand Duchess disapproved of the gruesome depiction of a usually timid scene, and had the painting moved to an isolated part of the Uffizi. There it remained until the 20th century, when this painting, including many others, was damaged in the 1993 terrorist bombing of the Pitti Palace. Following its restoration, the painting was once again placed in a largely peripheral location within the gallery. Now, Gentileschi's most prominent piece shares space with other great Baroque artists, including Caravaggio.
Artemisia Gentileschi Maria Magdalena Orazio Gentileschi Grand Duke Cosimo II de' Medici Uffizi Naples Baroque Caravaggio Holofernes Judith Beheading Holofernes