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A lavishly dressed young woman lights up Eglon van der Neer’s picture, her sumptuous silk and brocade dress contrasting strongly with the dark background. Decorated with pearls, it seems to be the star of the show. But a longer look at the painting reveals a sword in the woman’s right hand and, more gruesomely, a second figure lowering a head into a bag. Van der Neer has portrayed this young woman as Judith, the Old Testament heroine who famously seduced and decapitated Holofernes, the Assyrian general who was leading an attack on her town.

Judith’s heroism and beauty would have made her an obvious role model for the sitter, who decided to have herself portrayed in her guise. Van der Neer, however, seems to have been more occupied with capturing the qualities of the woman’s dress than with the biblical story’s narrative elements.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

Judith

Date

about 1678

Medium

Oil on oak

Measurements

H 32 x W 24.6 cm

Accession number

NG2535

Acquisition method

Salting Bequest, 1910

Work type

Painting

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

This venue is open to the public. Not all artworks are on display. If you want to see a particular artwork, please contact the venue.

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Artist or maker

Eglon Hendrik van der Neer

1634–1703

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