Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio is known for his early religious paintings that synthesize with the late Renaissance and the decline of the Church's power. His bold, naturalistic style revolutionized Renaissance art by introducing a new style that was adopted by many artists. "Judith Beheading Holofernes" was the first instance where Caravaggio used a highly dramatic scene for his painting, inspiring artists of the 16th century Baroque movement to use intense emotions and realism to bring followers back to the Church (T). This early religious painting was made from 1598-99 in Palazzo Barberini, Rome, illustrating the Old Testament account in the Book of Judith (13:7-8) where the young hero kills Holofernes, an Assyrian general, in order to save her hometown. The painting captures the moment when Judith mercilessly cuts off the head of Holofernes after seducing the war general. The ferocity of the scene is captured through dramatic facial expressions and theatrical lighting, dramatically telling the story of Judith, a symbol of triumph over tyranny, and the moment when good overcomes evil. What makes this painting stand out is that it depicts the most climatic moment in the story of Judith, a very rare thing for artists to do during the 15th century. Little did Caravaggio know his new interpretation of religious art would catch the attention of other Roman artists, inspiring a new age of art; the baroque movement. .
Caravaggio was born as Michelangelo Merisi in September of 1571, in a small town called Caravaggio, located to the east of Milan (which was then under Spanish rule). He came from a middle-class provincial family. They were not rich, but had a sufficient amount of money and land. His grandfather, Bernardino Merisi, had a modest, two story home on a small piece of land in northeast Caravaggio, where he lived and worked. Bernardino had three marriages, resulting in multiple children.