c. 1598-1599

Oil on canvas

1.44m by 1.92m

Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica,

Barberini, Rome.

The Painting.

his serves as a comparison with Artemisia's Judith. Quite a gory painting in its own right, it casts young, pretty Judith as squeamish and stilted, as opposed to Artemisia's strong, determined, and more mature Judith. Caravaggio depicts Abra as an old hag. Both Caravaggio's and Artemisia's versions employ dramatic chiaroscuro and realism. Artemisia seems set on improving on Caravaggio's tentative heroine.

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