Maffei's painting of a woman holding a sword and a head in a bowl was analysed by Erwin Panofsky. He suggested that it alludes to both the story of Judith and the story of Salome.
Erwin Panofsky examined Maffei’s depiction of a figure wielding a sword and carrying a bowl with a severed head. He concluded that it alludes to both the narrative of Judith and the tale of Salome.