Judith with the Head of Holofernes

Palma Vecchio depicted the biblical heroine Judith after beheading the Assyrian general Holofernes to save her people. She holds his severed head while her maid waits with a sack. The Renaissance master rendered Judith as an idealized Venetian beauty with rich golden hair and luxurious garments.

The story of Judith represented feminine virtue triumphing over tyranny, making it a popular subject in Renaissance art. Palma Vecchio was known for his voluptuous female figures and warm Venetian coloring influenced by Giorgione and Titian. His Judith combines sensuality with moral heroism. This painting hangs at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.