Gustav Klimt, famed leader of the Vienna Secession, is best known for his femme fatales. These ethereal yet dangerous painted women had inspiration in biblical or mythological stories and turn-of-the-century socialites. Judith and the Head of Holofernes (1901) combines each of these influences. Klimt’s interpretation of a favorite biblical heroine is sensual and decorative, leaving contemporary critics to insist that Klimt had created a Salome figure. Judith and Salome are two vastly different biblical women, whose sole connecting factor is the presence of a decapitation in their stories. I am investigating the relationship between Judith and Salome within Klimt’s piece as an example of the generalizing nature of the femme fatale trope. I will examine past depictions of both Judith and Salome, including their biblical origins and subsequent reinterpretations. I will briefly explore media that may have influenced public perception of each character, from epic poetry to paintings and stage productions. I will dissect Klimt’s Judith/Salome character as a femme fatale given the trope’s origin in a male fear of female sexuality and liberation. I will conclude by presenting Klimt’s later work on the subject Judith II (1909), which is more abstract and fear-inspiring in nature. This piece was created eight years after the first, suggesting that Judith (and possibly Salome) was still on Klimt’s mind.