Judith and Holofernes

Clemente Ruta (1685-1767)
18th century, Oil on canvas

This evocative painting shows one of the most depicted biblical heroines, the beautiful Jewish widow who had the courage to enter the Assyrian camp near her besieged city of Bethulia to defeat the general of the enemy troops, whom she beheaded. Over time, the story has come to symbolize the victory of virtue over vice. (Holofernes planned to seduce her, but his drunkenness left him defenseless before the determined young woman.) An important work by the talented Clemente Ruta, who was at the height of his career and who maintained a successful studio in Parma, this painting, like its pendant, shows a certain disproportion between the head of the figure depicted and the body, emphasized by its oblique position; the dress is beautifully drawn and magnificently coloured, as are the mantle, the camisole held in place by blue ribbons and gold buckles, and the ornament on her turban, appropriate to the status of a wealthy widow. The artist declares his admiration for Venetian art here, as well as that of representatives of Bolognese Rococo, such as Vincenzo Monti and Vittorio Bigari.