Judith with the Head of Holofernes

Narrator 
Artemisia Gentileschi wasn’t the only artist fascinated by the story of Judith – the Jewish heroine who saves her people by killing the Assyrian general Holofernes. 

Fede Galizia, a less well-known painter and the daughter of the artist Nunzio Galizia from northern Italy, also returned to this subject several times. Here too, it’s the proud and strong female figure that dominates the scene. 

Cynthia Osiecki 
One thing we particularly notice is how meticulously Galizia renders Judith’s clothing. The gold details, the decorative elements in the fabric of the dress, the folds that fall neatly along the upper body – they all show an intense attention to the materiality of the painting. 

This attention to detail is closely connected to Galizia’s background as a miniature painter. 

Narrator 
This is Cynthia Osiecki, art historian at the National Museum. 

Cynthia Osiecki 
Judith appears calm, almost unaffected by the dramatic act that has just taken place. 

This suggests that the moment is divinely predetermined – as if Judith is acting as an instrument of fate. In another version of this motif, Galizia signs her name, “Fede,” on the knife. The word also means faith or trust, which in a way, reinforces the narrative of fate and divine will behind what’s just unfolded. 

Narrator
As in Artemisia Gentileschi’s version, which is also on display here, Judith holds the severed head firmly by the hair with her left hand, while her maidservant stands ready with a dish and cloth. 

Cynthia Osiecki 
Fede Galizia showed remarkable talent early on. By the age of twelve, she was already attracting attention as an artist, and before she turned twenty, she was known across much of Italy. 

A significant part of her work focuses on still lifes, especially fruit. These paintings reflect the influence of the Lombard tradition influenced by Caravaggio in the 1590s. You can also see influences from Spanish still-life painting, as well as models from Flanders and Northern Europe, while finding her own expression.