Artemisia Gentileschi, 'Jael and Sisera', c.1620

 

My eye firstly notices the hand wielding the hammer above the unsuspecting man's head. Gentileschi is depicting a new and particularly horrible kind of weapon here instead of the huge sword she gave Judith to slice Holofernes' head off in 1620. The tent peg seems all the more violent, especially as the viewer is looking at the split second before the deed has been committed. Moreover, the gaze of the women (Jael) is focused and calm, making the piece seem unnerving. This is not a moment of hesitation but a snapshot of action - the woman has made up her mind and will commit to this murder. The viewer can only imagine how Gentileschi would have depicted the bloody aftermath, in her usual violent and tenebristic way. The fact that the artist has signed her name in the tomb-like stone above the man is significant - she is signing his life away in this painting, sending him swiftly to the grave. 

The body of the man (Sisera) is also interestingly depicted. He lies in a rather effeminate way, resting his head on his arm in relaxation and deep sleep. The positioning of his legs with the rumpled drapery around them could almost be those of a woman and although Gentileschi has represented his sword in the foreground, we do not need that symbolism to see him as unmanned and emasculated. The way that he is tucked up close to the woman suggests a loving relationship, or an almost mother and son bond which is again brutally at odds with the subject. The two bodies make a right angle, again linking to what seems like a balanced and harmonious relationship. He even seems to have a slight smile on his lips, perhaps suggesting that he is in the midst of a good dream. This is all subverted by the unusual violence of the woman above him. Gentileschi has positioned the woman physically above Sisera, highlighting her dominance in the pictorial space and her power over him. The Caravaggio-like chiaroscuro is also lighting up Jael, so that the viewer focuses on her before they see the sleeping man below her. Gentileschi wants the viewer to focus on the woman, and see her strength, not just in the determination of her action but in her muscled forearms and dynamic, curving pose. The characteristic yellow of Jael's dress further emphasises her to the viewer, and emphasises her power in this composition. 

Typical of the time and of much of Gentileschi's other work, the two figures fill the space and there is little room to add anymore detail. The sudden contrasts and changes in colour, such as the virtually black background to the sudden paleness of the woman's skin, also conform to seventeenth century painting techniques. Even tiny details such as the folds of material suggest movement, as Jael creases her dress to kneel beside her victim, and the sash around her neck falls slightly off her shoulder as she precisely places the tent peg on the man's neck. The details are emphasised by the strong lighting which also pushes the figures forward in contrast to the shadows behind. Gentileschi's naturalistic details make her art seem all the more solidly real. But despite the colour and movement it is the calmness of the painting which heightens its unnerving quality. It is even more unnerving once you are standing opposite it.