Judith And Her Maidservant Analysis

Baroque art focused on combining the Classical ideals of Renaissance art with spiritual feelings of the sixteenth-century religious revival. Dramatic effects created by using rich colors and brush strokes were used to arouse intense emotions. Bold human forms, intricate embellishment, dramatic use of light and shadow, intense facial expressions, and movement were also used in Baroque art to create a sense of unity. In Judith and the Maidservant with the head of Holofernes we see many of these characteristics, including a spiritual element as it depicts a story from the Old Testament. The painter Artemisia Gentileschi, used dramatic lighting to cast a shadow on Judith’s face to create a feeling of danger, urgency and suspense, a technique called chiaroscuro. It is even more intensified given the context of the painting as Judith and Abra prepare to leave Holofernes’ tent after killing him. Emotion is also conveyed in Judith’s tense grip on the …show more content…
The first piece conveys a feeling of suspense and danger, while the second conveys a light, slightly mystical feeling. The first one was also created with grandeur in mind while the second was made with aesthetic and fun in mind. The color palettes and brush strokes are also completely different. The first one has dark, rich colors and deliberate, broad brush strokes and the second has pastels and free, loose brush strokes. In addition, the first one utilized dramatic lighting while the second was painted with a single natural light. However, they both contain spiritual elements even if the second one is secularized. Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes depicts a scene from the Old Testament and Narcissus depicts a scene from Greek mythology. The Rococo style also goes well with Baroque architecture, despite their contrasting