Gustav Klimt is remembered as one of the greatest symbolist and decorative painters of the twentieth century. Despite the artist’s enormous popularity today, Klimt’s work was controversial during his lifetime and often criticized for its sexualized themes. Along with ‘Kiss’, ‘Judith’ is said to be a masterpiece of Klimt’s Golden Period. The portrait depicts the biblical character Judith holding the severed head of Holofernes. However, unlike many other artists who have portrayed this scene, Klimt focuses primarily on Judith, painting her as a femme fatale.