Studio of FRANCESCO SOLIMENA (Italian 1657-1747)
Judith With the Head of Holofernes
Oil on canvas

29.8 inches x 39.8 inches (75.5 x 101 cm)

Provenance:
Private Collection, Chicago, Illinois U.S.A.

The offered lot follows closely the same subject, with some notable variations, as the example in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. In comparison, the offered lot adds additional putti at top center, two additional figures lower right and a youth at far mid left. The present painting is obviously by a very competent hand, quite close to Solimena and possibly with his assistance. The brush strokes are confident, the shading is well executed and effective and the painting is unquestionably of the period.

This painting illustrates the moment when Judith displays the trophy of her victory to the citizens she has rescued. In a Christian context, the story of the Jewish heroine represents the triumph of virtue over evil. During the Counter-Reformation, and hence thereafter, the subject also became a powerful symbol of the Catholic Church’s triumph over heresy, or dissent from its teachings. Here, Judith is depicted as a confident servant to the will of God. The dramatic lighting, gestures and facial expressions of the figures are intended to appeal to the emotions of the viewer and thereby activate the same faith which motivated Judith.

The original painting, part of a larger altarpiece, was commissioned by Prince Eugene of Savoya, and it was soon internationally appreciated. It served as a reference point for the Austrian Rococo painters.

The painting is also similar to the painting of the same subject titled "The Triumph of Judith," dated to circa 1704-1708, Oil on canvas, and held by the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA.