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
Framing dimensions: 66 × 55 cm

Biographical notes

Francesco Polazzo (Venice, 1682–1752) was a significant interpreter of Venetian painting in the first half of the eighteenth century. His training developed through the assimilation of the Venetian experiences of Sebastiano Ricci and Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, integrated with contributions from Emilian figurative culture, particularly 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 softness of modeling, chromatic sensitivity, and particular attention to luminist effects. Among his most significant works are the canvases for the Cathedral of Bergamo, 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 in 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-length, contemplating 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 refined arrangement of the rosy draperies, enlivened by elegant golden contours. The green drapery that gathers behind her creates a lively chromatic counterpoint, while the head of Holofernes, partially shrouded 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 identifiable in the face typologies, the soft modeling of the flesh, and the handling of draperies. Notable points of comparison can be found in the figures of The Martyrdom of Saints Gervasio and Protasio, a panel by the artist for the parish church of Spirano, in the province of Bergamo, where similar solutions appear in the physiognomic characterization and in the construction of forms through light (see attached photograph). The work bears witness to that synthesis between the luminosity of Venetian painting and the classicism of Emilian lineage, one of the most recognizable aspects of Polazzo’s language.

State of conservation

The painting shows signs of age consistent with its period. The canvas has been relined and mounted on a later wooden frame, as documented by the photographs of the reverse. The work is accompanied by an original eighteenth‑century frame, measuring 66 × 55 cm, which is offered with the sale as a courtesy. Please refer to the high-resolution photographs for a precise assessment of the conservation status.

Shipping

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