Judith Killing Holofernes c. 1460

This small, anonymous, ink and watercolor drawing depicts the biblical story of Judith beheading Holofernes. This image, created sometime in the late Middle Ages, would have been part of an illuminated manuscript, a hand-written book decorated with paintings. In Northern Europe at this time, such books were often commissioned by wealthy individuals or religious institutions. This one likely served a devotional purpose, meant for private contemplation. But it’s also a political image. Judith, a Jewish widow, saved her people by seducing and then killing Holofernes, an Assyrian general. The story speaks to the anxieties of a culture constantly under threat of invasion and conquest. To fully understand this image, we would want to research the social function of illuminated manuscripts, the status of women, and the ever-changing political landscape of the late medieval period. We can then consider the cultural work performed by this violent, yet empowering, image.