Lucas Cranach the Elder, a prominent German painter and printmaker of the early 16th century, painted Judith Victorious several times. One of these paintings depicts Judith decapitating Holofernes, an Assyrian general. The painting is oil on panel and is located at Jagdschloß Grunewald in Berlin.
In this religious painting done in the Northern Renaissance style, Judith smiles faintly as she raises the weapon she used to decapitate Holofernes. This act of violence has been interpreted by some art historians as a symbol of resistance against the Catholic tradition and Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor.
Aside from religious paintings like Judith Victorious, Cranach also produced portraits, altarpieces, woodcuts, engravings, and designed coins for the electorate. His works are now part of various collections around the world.
Overall, Judith Victorious is one of Cranach’s notable works that show his mastery in portraying human emotions through his subjects’ facial expressions and body language.
