Josef Váchal (1884-1969)

JUDITH AND HOLOFERNES

1925
Colour woodcut on paper 25x24 cm (42x33,5 cm), recto in pencil lower right below the print area the author`s signature "J. Váchal", lower left the title of the work "Judita a Holofernes (Z Postyly Kacířské)" and the note "(Barevný dřevoryt, č. t. 1.)", signed lower right in print "J. Váchal". A very rare copy from Váchal`s peak period. Váchal printed this motif as part of the book Koruna bludařstva to jest Postyla kacířská. As Váchal himself states in the publishing notes, this book was printed in 16 copies and furthermore "These woodcuts were, apart from the book, printed three more times on separate sheets and the blocks were destroyed during the work"; this is therefore one of a total of three loose sheets that Váchal produced. Paper spotted in places. Cf.: collections of the Moravian Gallery in Brno, inv. no. C 30391. Váchal`s scene does not emphasise the heroic gesture of victory, but the moment after it – the weight of the deed and its moral consequences. Judith does not appear here as a triumphant heroine, but as a figure bearing the consequence of her decision, while the body of Holofernes sinks into lifeless matter. The tent, the nocturnal space and the limited light transform the biblical story into a drama unfolding on the boundary of conscience. The author suppresses decorativeness in favour of psychological urgency and emphasises the ambivalence of violence committed in the name of a higher good. The expressive colours and sharp draughtsmanship underscore the tension between faith, courage and the darkness of human action.