Judith with the Head of Holofernes (Mantegna, Washington)
painting by Andrea Mantegna or a follower (possibly Giulio Campagnola), National Gallery of Art
Judith with the Head of Holofernes is an Italian Renaissance painting attributed to Andrea Mantegna or to a follower of his, possibly Giulio Campagnola. Painted in tempera in around 1495 or 1500, it depicts the common artistic subject of Judith beheading Holofernes.
History
The painting has been dated through comparison with similar grisaille panels with Old Testament subjects which Mantegna produced around 1495 and 1500.
The work was perhaps included in the Gonzaga collection acquired by Charles I of England in 1628. Given to William Herbert, 6th Earl of Pembroke, it was inherited by his heirs until it was sold in London in 1917. After a series of different owners, it was acquired in New York City by Joseph E. Widener in 1923. In 1942, it was donated to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Description
In a relatively serene interpretation of the theme, Judith is portrayed standing under the pink tent of Holofernes (whose foot can be seen on the right) immediately after beheading him, still holding the blade. She is dropping the head into a sack held by a maid. The composition also appears in Mantegna's grisaille paintings of this subject in Dublin and in Montreal, and a drawing in the Gabinetto dei disegni e delle stampe of the Uffizi.
The panel has brilliant and variegated colors, resembling a miniature.
The public source identifies “Judith with the Head of Holofernes (Mantegna, Washington)” as painting by Andrea Mantegna or a follower (possibly Giulio Campagnola), National Gallery of Art. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Judith, Head and Holofernes.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Judith with the Head of Holofernes (Mantegna, Washington)”, the useful work is to connect “painting by Andrea Mantegna or a follower (possibly Giulio Campagnola), National Gallery of Art” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3769182. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1495, 1500, 1628 and 1917.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
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Three-step research path
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Judith with the Head of Holofernes (Mantegna, Washington)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.