Judith Column

myminifactory

As the severed head she holds clearly indicates to anyone observing her, this woman may be none other than Judith from the ancient Old Testament. Judith, a bold and stunning widow, is visibly irritated with her fellow Jewish countrymen for their lack of trust in God's ability to deliver them from their foreign oppressors. She sets out with her loyal maid to the encampment of the enemy general, Holofernes, where she gradually wins his trust by promising him vital information about the Israelites. As he becomes increasingly confident in her loyalty, he grants her access to his tent one night while he lies in a drunken stupor. She takes advantage of the opportunity to decapitate him, then returns to her terrified countrymen with the gruesome trophy. The Assyrian army, having lost their leader, quickly disperses, and Israel is saved from further devastation. Despite being courted by numerous suitors, Judith remains resolutely unmarried for the rest of her life. The artwork on display here marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of style: while its massive stone structure evokes the grandeur of the Middle Ages-Gothic era, the delicate subtlety of the bas-relief and the attention to detail in the woman's dress are characteristic of the emerging Early Renaissance.