A woman in a vivid blue dress grips the hair of a bearded man, forcing his head back as she presses a sword to his throat. Beside her, a second woman in a red gown leans forward, her brow furrowed in concentration as she pins down the man's torso with both hands. The man, naked to the waist, lies sprawled on a bed covered with white sheets that are already stained with streams of bright red blood.

His face is contorted in shock and pain, mouth open, eyes wide, as the blade slices into his neck and blood pours down onto the bedding below. The scene is tightly framed, with the three figures pressed close together, filling almost the entire canvas and leaving little space around them. Strong, directional light falls from the left, illuminating the faces, arms, and garments of the women while plunging much of the background into deep shadow.

The blue and red of the women's dresses stand out against the dark, neutral tones of the room and the pale flesh of the figures, heightening the drama of the moment. Gentileschi uses bold contrasts of light and shadow, with sharp highlights on skin and cloth and deep, velvety darkness enveloping the rest of the space. The brushwork is smooth and controlled, especially in the rendering of the fabrics and the sheen of the sword, while the blood is painted with a visceral, almost tactile immediacy.

The composition directs attention to the physical struggle, with the diagonal thrust of Judith’s arm and the sword leading the viewer’s gaze to the focal point of the beheading. Every detail, from the clenched fists to the twisted sheets, underscores the violence and urgency of the action.