Jael and Sisera

This is a painting by Artemisia Gentileschi called Jael and Sisera (1620). The painting consists of a man sleeping peacefully near a woman while the woman is about to drive a nail through the man's head with a hammer. This picture is inspired by a bible story in the book of Judges, where Jael (the woman) lures Sisera, (the man) into her tent and waits until he falls asleep to murder him with the pick and hammer. Sisera is the captain of Jabin's army; Jabin is the king of Canaan. Jael plots to kill Sisera in order to free her people of Isreal from the rein of king Jabin. At first glance, the painting looks like that of a mother and child. The bright, warm colors of red and yellow give a sense of safety. However, that sense of safety proves to be misleading with the almost pitch-black darkness behind the two characters. The simple, black background not only adds a chilling atmosphere, but it also helps in making the characters stand out more. The black contrasts sharply with the bright colors to make Jael and Sisera "pop out" of the painting, reinforcing the importance of this scene in the bible. There is also an interesting use of lines in the portrait. The curvy lines of Sisera's belly and face accentuate the look of a sleeping baby, while the straight lines and rougher edges of Jael's arms, shoulders, and hands, give off a very threatening and powerful look. Despite the horrifying act of murder about to take place, Jael's face looks serene and peaceful. It shows that she is not in the least bit troubled by the murder she is about to commit, probably because she believes her action is just.