This is the type of art criticism I can get behind.
Ranked: 10 paintings of Judith beheading Holofernes
Today in Current Affairs, we examine an urgent and timely topic: Judith’s beheading of Holofernes! This story comes to us from the Book of Judith, a biblical text about the attempted conquest of Israel by the Assyrians. Judith is a Jewish widow who ingratiates herself with the invading general Holofernes, waits for him to fall asleep, and then hacks his head off and takes it home with her (thus thwarting the entire invasion, because the Assyrians evidently had no Plan B if Holofernes was killed. Solid military strategy, Assyrians.)
2. Caravaggio, c. 1598-1599
Lyta: This one is pretty and famous but I am not feeling it
it’s the Blake Lively of paintings
good bloodspurt tho
Brianna: yeah good on the blood front, but Judith just doesn’t seem sufficiently enthused
Lyta: “is this even the right angle? I should have practiced first”
“I’ll do better next time”
(via Laura Olin’s newsletter)
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