Curatorial Statement
Just as Judith, her defeat over the Assyrian general Holofernes quickly became immortalized within the art historical canon. Her story and she herself became an icon of womanly virtue and piety, of female rage. Judith and the Head of Holofernes is a deep-dive into the various interpretations of Judith beheading Holofernes, attempting to make reason of the relevance and popularity of the subject in art history, paying close attention to repetition of visual allegory/motif.
The pieces in the exhibit will be displayed in sequential order, ranging all the way from the late 15th to early 20th century. Each piece will be analyzed visually, a detailed description of the intepretation, how the artist has interpreted the characters of our story, and brief insight into the artist's background. The exhibit will conclude with a cross examination of all the pieces, highlighting overarching themes, details which distinguish the piece from others, etc. These findings will be used in a final analysis of the story done through a feminist lense, drawing in specific details from the pieces.
When going through the exhibit, I ask that you interpret the pieces as you wish, of course, but also look for details that may lead someone to interpreting it as having protofeminist undertones. Thank you, and enjoy as these artists bring to life the iconic story of Judith and Holofernes.
-Abigail Paternina