Judith with the Head of Holofernes
Felice Ficherelli·c. 1665
Historical Context
Felice Ficherelli painted this Judith with the Head of Holofernes around 1665, treating the popular biblical subject of the Jewish heroine who saved her people by decapitating the Assyrian general. Ficherelli, called "il Riposo," was a Florentine painter who worked in a naturalistic style influenced by Cristofano Allori and the Caravaggesque tradition. The Judith subject was particularly popular among Baroque painters for its combination of beauty, violence, and female heroism.
Technical Analysis
Ficherelli renders the dramatic scene with warm, rich coloring and the naturalistic treatment of flesh and fabric characteristic of Florentine Baroque painting. The contrast between Judith's beauty and the grim trophy she holds creates the tension between sensuality and violence that made the subject so compelling.
Provenance
Sir George Donaldson, Hove, England, to 1918; bought by Thomas Agnew and Sons, Ltd., London, 16 November 1918; sold 10 June 1931 to W. J. Fergus, Montreal [Agnew and Sons letter to Susan Wise, 16 August 1989, in curatorial file]; sold to Schaeffer Galleries, Inc., New York [Susan Wise phone conversation with Schaeffer Galleries, 27 September 1989, note in curatorial file]; sold to Mr. and Mrs. Worcester for the Art Institute, 1939 [letter from Schaeffer Galleries, 29 March 1939, in curatorial file].
