Judith Beheading Holofernes
2018 © Maxim Tabachnik
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Judith Beheading HolofernesDetailCaravaggio

720
In this dramatic scene from Judith Beheading Holofernes (c. 1598), the Assyrian general Holofernes struggles in his final moments as Judith, the Jewish widow, delivers the fatal blow. Caravaggio captures his terror with a contorted face and blood spurting across the bed, while Judith's hands hold him with determination. This raw depiction distills the narrative to its core: virtue triumphing over tyranny, conveyed with intense immediacy.