Judith Column
Judith Column
Published 2017-06-20T10:17:40+00:00
As the decapitated head she is holding indicates it to the observer, this woman may be Judith from the Old Testament. Judith, a daring and beautiful widow, who is upset with her Jewish countrymen for not trusting God to deliver them from their foreign conquerors, goes with her loyal maid to the camp of the enemy general, Holofernes, with whom she slowly ingratiates herself, promising him information on the Israelites. Gaining his trust, she is allowed access to his tent one night as he lies in a drunken stupor. She decapitates him, then takes his head back to her fearful countrymen. The Assyrians, having lost their leader, disperse, and Israel is saved. Though she is courted by many, Judith remains unmarried for the rest of her life.
We are here at the junction between Gothic and Renaissance styles: if the massive aspect of the stone recalls the Middle Ages-Gothic style, the subtlety of the bas-relief, especially the care given to the hanging of the woman's dress are typical of the Early Renaissance.
Date published | 20/06/2017 |
Title | Judith Column |
Date | 15th century |
Period | Early Renaissance |
Medium | stone |
Artist | Tommaso Cazzaniga |
Place | Castello Sforzesco |