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Chelsea Budde
Linda O. Wells
ARTT 2660nnnn
20 April 2016
Artemisia Gentileschi and Titian were two of the most accomplished artists of their
respective generations. Gentileschi was the first woman accepted into the Academia di Arte del
Disengno in an era where woman painters were not readily received. She was the most important
female artist of the 17th century Italian Baroque movement. Not only did she achieve recognition
as an artist but she was creating artworks that represented strong and suffering women of myth
and the bible. With the Catholic Church as his main patron Titian also produced painting with
mythological and religious themes. Titian also referred to as the Venetian artist of the 16th
century Italian Renaissance broke ground as the first international artist. His international fame
was helped by the fact that he was considered the undisputed master of Venetian painting for
over 60 years. The beheading of Holofernes by Judith has been the subject of various paintings
and sculptures during the Renaissance and Baroque periods; not surprising that Gentileschi and
Titian both have artworks inspired by this telling. Gentileschi with Judith and Holofernes
(Artemisia Gentileschi, 1625) and Titian with Judith with the Head of Holofernes (Titian, 1570)
Titian and Gentileschi have both chosen the moment when Judith and her maidservant
have severed the head and are now preparing to decamp with their trophy. Both artists have
portrayed Judith as an empowered and in control woman. In Judith with the Head of Holofernes
( Titian, 1570), Titian has captured the true strength and victory Judith is feeling after having
succeeded in assassinating Holofernes, as a viewer you can feel the pride radiating from Judith
from the accomplished look on her face, to the powerful grip she has on Holofernes now severed
head. Gentileschi has also chosen to capture the strength of Judith by showing her fearlessness
and determination to complete her mission even though the reality of Judith and Abra being
caught is now being realized as they hear a sound off canvas.
Italian Baroque and Italian Renaissance artists alike were known for creating drastic
contrast between the light and the dark to emphasize the drama of the scenes they were
depicting. Titian used the chiaroscuro effect to create a greater sense of volume and to
specifically highlight the figure of Judith bringing all of our attention to her. Gentileschi has also
manipulated the contrast between light and dark creating a dramatic spotlight effect in her
panting also bringing the viewers focus to Judith.
Oil on canvas was starting its takeover as the main medium for paintings during the
Italian Renaissance; by the Italian Baroque period its take over was complete. The want for
