Judith & Holofernes (pal/1-n°03)

Belonging to the early Palimpsests, this artwork explores a recurring theme in art history. It portrays the heroic act of a young Jewish girl who fearlessly ventures into the enemy camp, armed with her cunning and courage. She seduces General Holophernes, who invites her to his banquet and then to his tent. Observing him intoxicated, Judith decapitates him with a sword, thereby liberating her city of Bethulia. This theme has been depicted numerous times throughout art history. Here, the mnemonic image of the myth appears to resurface from a "pictorial wall," as if inscribed within the colorful material transformed into stone. On the right, we see the profile of a wild and menacing Holophernes, with an empty eye socket and discernible sharp teeth. This contrasts with the hieratic bust of Judith, presenting the frontal beauty of her chest and abdomen. The two characters seem forever intertwined within the remnants of this pictorial and resinous fragment.