Artist | Gustav Klimt (1862 – 1918)

Year | 1901

Medium

Oil and gold leaf on canvas

Dimensions

84 × 42 cm

Location

The Belvedere : Upper Belvedere →

Judith

Gustav Klimt reinterprets the biblical heroine Judith as an erotic femme fatale and a seductive icon of femininity. In this 1901 masterpiece, Judith is depicted with a lascivious gaze, half-closed eyes, and a slightly open mouth. She holds the severed head of Holofernes almost tenderly, as if to push it out of the frame. By focusing on Judith’s triumph and the "battle of the sexes," Klimt leaves no room for the male aggressor, transforming the traditional tale of political resistance into a powerful display of dangerous charm. The top of the frame bears the inscription "JUDITH UND HOLOFERNES