Her Beauty Captivated His Mind and the Sword Severed His Neck! The Changing Depiction of Judith Beheading Holofernes from the Pre-Renaissance Era to Contemporary Society

This study examines artistic depictions of the story of Judith beheading Holofernes in the Book of Judith from different historical eras. The goal of these case studies is to bring attention to how art has reflected ideas about women in the past using sexist stereotypes. This article treats these ideas and the production of artwork as historically contingent in order to question the misogyny displayed through the history of art. Using historical research and stylistic analysis, this article will argue that Judith was portrayed differently during each era in response to how women were viewed at the time.