Judith with the Head of Holofernes
Artist
Francesco Cairo
(Italian, 1607 - 1665)
Dateca.1633-37
Period17th century
CultureItalian
MediumOil on canvas
ClassificationPaintings
Credit LineMuseum purchase, 1966
Object numberSN798
Though Cairo was born and trained in Milan, his stint in Turin in the 1630s, as court painter to the Duke of Savoy, had a profound influence on his style. The dark palette, dramatic lighting, and sensuous naturalism evident here are qualities associated with the work of Caravaggio and his followers, which Cairo was able to study first-hand in Turin. It is interesting to compare this painting with Fede Galizia’s depiction of the same subject some 40 years earlier (SN684, on the opposite end of this wall).
On View
On viewLocation
DimensionsImage: 46 7/8 x 37 1/8 in. (119.1 x 94.3 cm)- Museum of Art, Gallery 08, Wall East
Frame: 59 3/16 × 48 1/2 × 2 5/16 in. (150.3 × 123.2 × 5.8 cm)
