Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0 · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileJudit met het hoofd van Holofernes
About This Work
The biblical heroine Judith is depicted immediately after the beheading of the Assyrian general Holofernes, whose headless torso lies on a bed in the background. Judith holds a curved sword and the general's head, while an elderly maidservant prepares to hide the trophy in a cloth bag. The scene is set within an ornate tent, capturing a moment of dramatic tension and triumph.
This print is a collaboration between Aegidius Sadeler and Hans von Aachen, two primary artists of the Rudolfine court in Prague. It illustrates the 'Power of Women' theme and serves as a moral allegory of sobriety and virtue (Judith) triumphing over drunken excess and tyranny (Holofernes), a common philosophical motif in the intellectual circle of Emperor Rudolf II.
Inscriptions(German)
Fœmina, uina, dapes, martem strauêre potentem, Seruarunt patriam fœmina, lympha, preces. Hic, uel in imbelli quid sobria pectora sexu Possint, inq; viro mens temulenta, patet. H: von Ach: Inue:
Translation
Woman, wine, and feasts have laid low the mighty warrior; Woman, water, and prayers have saved the fatherland. Here is manifest what sober hearts may achieve, even in the unwarlike sex, And what a drunken mind can do in a man. H: von Ach: Designed:
Connected Texts
Book of Judith
The biblical source detailing the assassination of Holofernes by Judith to save the city of Bethulia.
Collections
Provenance & Source
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
paper
height 306 mm x width 214 mm
religious
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.