Judith holding the head of Holofernes, unknown maker from Germany

Episode 263, (revised Episode 35) Jun-2005, revised May-2006, Patrick Musick, Docent I’m David Cateforis with another Art Minute from the Spencer Museum of Art. A display case in the Spencer's Medieval Gallery holds a stained glass roundel, or round panel, depicting the Jewish heroine, Judith, who saved her people from the invasion of the Assyrians by decapitating their general, Holofernes. According to the Apocryphal Book of Judith, this virtuous widow entered the Assyrian camp and ingratiated herself to Holofernes. After an evening of heavy drinking, Holofernes fell into a stupor and Judith cut off his head with his own sword. Without their general, the Assyrians lost their will to fight and left the Kingdom of Judah unscathed. The Spencer’s roundel shows an imposing-looking Judith dressed in a flowing, orange-colored garment. She brandishes a sword over her head in her right hand and holds the head of Holofernes in her left. This work was created in 1563 by an unknown artist from Augsburg [ouks’boork], Germany, a city with a long tradition of stained glass production. The roundel’s background shows an Alpine village at the base of mountains-typical of Bavarian cities like Augsburg. Late medieval and Renaissance artists typically depicted biblical events in European settings, probably to make them seem relevant to audiences of the day. With thanks to Patrick Musick for his text, from the Spencer Museum of Art, I’m David Cateforis.