Judith with the Head of Holofernes: Jan Cornelisz Vermeyen's earliest signed painting - Ainsworth, Maryan W.; Vandivere, Abbie 1979- (2014)
This article presents a new attribution and dating for a painting of Judith with the Head of Holofernes. A monogram, decorative elements, and technical features strongly suggest that it was made by Jan Cornelisz Vermeyen around 1525–30.The decorative details are placed within the context of contemporary sketchbooks and pattern books. The painting technique -- including preparatory layers, brushwork, and the depiction of fabrics -- is discussed in relation to other paintings by Vermeyen and Jan Gossart. The subject matter of the powerful female figure gives clues to the painting's likely patron: Margaret of Austria, regent of the Netherlands.