SOLIMENA, Francesco
(b. 1657, Nocera dei Pagani, d. 1743, Barra)

Judith with the Head of Holofernes

1728-33
Oil on canvas, 105 x 130 cm
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

The painting, part of a larger altarpiece, was commissioned by Prince Eugene of Savoya, and it was soon internationally appreciated. It served as a reference point for the Austrian Rococo painters.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 17 minutes):
Alessandro Scarlatti: La Giuditta, oratorio, Part I (excerpts)