Francesco Polazzo (1682–1752), Attributed to - Giuditta con la testa di Oloferne

Francesco Polazzo
(Venice, 1682 – 1752)
Attributed to

Title: Judith with the Head of Holofernes
Technique: Oil on canvas
Canvas dimensions: 55 × 43.5 cm
Dimensions with frame: 66 × 55 cm

Biographical notes
Francesco Polazzo (Venice, 1682–1752) was a significant interpreter of Venetian painting in the first half of the 18th century. His training developed through the assimilation of Venetian experiences of Sebastiano Ricci and Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, integrated with contributions from Emilian figural culture, in particular Carlo Cignani and Marcantonio Franceschini. Active mainly between Venice and the Bergamo area, where he enjoyed important ecclesiastical and private commissions, he developed a personal language, characterized by the gentleness of modeling, chromatic sensitivity, and particular attention to luminous effects. Among his most significant works are the canvases for the Bergamo Cathedral, the Crucifixion in the Bergamo church of Santa Caterina, and the cycle of the Stories of the Virgin in the Sanctuary of Madonna dei Campi at Stezzano.

Description of the work
The painting depicts Judith with the head of Holofernes, an episode from the Old Testament, interpreted through a close composition in which the young heroine is shown in half figure as she contemplates the severed head of the Assyrian commander. The female figure, with a delicately inclined face and an absorbed expression, stands out for the softness of the flesh tones, the subtle chiaroscuro modulations, and the carefully arranged pink drapery, enlivened by elegant gold profiles. The green mantle gathered behind her introduces a lively chromatic contrast, while the head of Holofernes, partially immersed in shadow, gives the scene a restrained dramatic tension, entrusted more to the psychological contrast between the two protagonists than to narrative emphasis.
The attribution to Francesco Polazzo is supported by the affinities detectable in the typology of the faces, the soft modeling of the flesh tones, and the treatment of the drapery. Notable points of comparison can be found in the figures of the Martyrdom of Saints Gervasio and Protasio, a painting by the artist for the parish church of Spirano, in the province of Bergamo, where similar solutions appear in the physiognomic characterization and the construction of forms through light (see accompanying photograph). The work testifies to that synthesis between the luminosity of Venetian painting and the classicism of Emiliano matrix which constitutes one of the most recognizable aspects of Polazzo’s language.

Condition of conservation
The painting shows signs of aging compatible with its era. The canvas has been re-stretched and mounted on a later wooden frame, as documented by the reverse photographs.
The work is accompanied by an original eighteenth-century frame, measuring 66 × 55 cm, which is included in the sale as a courtesy item.
Please refer to the high-resolution photographs for a precise assessment of the conservation state.

Shipping
Professional and trackable shipping, with careful packaging appropriate to the nature of the artwork.