Florentine School, 16th century
JUDITH
oil on canvas
39 7/8 by 32 in.; 101.4 by 81.3 cm.
Private collection
The Book of Judith is the Old Testament of the Bible. The story revolves around
Judith, a daring and beautiful widow, who is upset with her Jewish countrymen
for not trusting God to deliver them from their foreign conquerors. She goes
with her loyal maid to the camp of the enemy general, Holofernes, with whom she
slowly ingratiates herself, promising him information on the Israelites.
Gaining his trust, she is allowed access to his tent one night as he lies in a
drunken stupor. She decapitates him, then takes his head back to her fearful
countrymen. The Assyrians, having lost their leader, disperse, and Israel is
saved. Though she is courted by many, Judith remains unmarried for the rest of
her life. More
on The Book of Judith
Florentine School was a major Italian
school of art that flourished between the 13th and 16th centuries, extending
from the Early Renaissance to the crisis of Renaissance culture.
The founder of the Florentine school was Giotto, whose work
placed Florence in the foreground of pre-Renaissance art. The work of his
successors, who included Taddeo Gaddi and Maso di Banco, developed along the
lines he had originated. However, toward the middle of the 14th century
conciseness and clarity of form (as seen in the work of A. di Bonaiuti)
disappeared, and a tendency toward linear and flat form became prevalent (Nardo
di Cione and, occasionally, Orcagna). In the last 30 years of the 14th century
a trend toward the international Gothic style prevailed (Agnolo Gaddi and
Lorenzo Monaco). More
on Florentine School
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