Judith
1901
Klimt transformed a gruesome biblical beheading into a portrait of a Viennese femme fatale. The woman—likely the wealthy socialite Adele Bloch-Bauer—gazes out with heavy-lidded, almost ecstatic eyes while casually clutching the severed head of Holofernes in the bottom right corner, barely visible in the shadows. She wears a stunning, rigid gold choker that contrasts with her bare skin and the intricate, decorative background of golden leaves. The original frame is actually integrated into the piece, stamped with 'JUDITH UND HOLOFERNES' in gold lettering, blurring the line between painting and decorative object.
Location: Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna
Views: 1