Judith beheading Holofernes

Also known as ‘The Great Judith’, this engraving is based on a painting by Rubens that is now lost. It was probably created shortly after his return from Italy. It shows the dramatic moment in which Judith cuts off the head of the drunken Assyrian general Holofernes with her own dagger. By so doing, she averts great misfortune from her people, to which the picture caption also refers. Holofernes, in a state of undress, lies on a wooden plank with a lion’s claws. Pulling his arms over his head, he remains only half-covered, and attempts to prop himself up with his thigh. His head is thrown back, his eyes rolled upwards, while Judith bends over him from the left and has already inserted her sword. Her right arm pushes Holofernes’ head towards the floor. Four putti hover over the scene. The engraving is considered the first one to be made based on a model of Rubens’. Rubens, who always attached great value to the highest technical and artistic quality, frequently corrected the engravings produced in his workshop. In later years, he acquired special rights to preserve his prints – an early form of copyright.