Judith at the Banquet of Holofernes
1634 painting by Rembrandt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Judith at the Banquet of Holofernes (also known as Artemisia Receiving Mausolus' Ashes and Sophonisba Receiving the Poisoned Cup) is a painting by the Dutch master Rembrandt. It is now in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain. It is signed "REMBRANDT F: 1634".
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| Artist | Rembrandt |
| Year | 1634 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 142 cm × 152 cm (56 in × 60 in) |
| Location | |
The subject of the picture was unclear for centuries. It portrays a young woman, formerly identified as Sophonisba or Artemisia, or a generic queen due to her jewels and rich garments, receiving a cup from a maiden.[1][2] Today it is considered to be Judith at the banquet of Holofernes.[3]
For the woman, Rembrandt probably used his wife Saskia as model.
In literature
The painting is the subject of an extended meditation in Spanish author Javier Marías's 1992 novel Corazón tan blanco (published in English as A Heart So White), in which a character reflects on the painting's dual iconographic reading—as either Artemisia of Caria or Sophonisba—while another character, a museum guard, threatens to destroy the painting with a cigarette lighter.[4]
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