summary
- Artemisia Gentileschi, a Baroque painter, was the first woman in Florence’s Academy of Fine Arts. She overcame a difficult trial and patriarchal challenges.
- Her powerful works, like Judith Slaying Holofernes, reflect personal trauma and depict strong, assertive women, resonating with modern movements.
- Gentileschi gained patronage from figures like Cosimo II and Charles I, achieving success despite adversity and leaving a lasting artistic legacy.
- Her art challenged societal norms, portraying realistic and bold female figures, and continues to spark discussions on feminism and art history.
Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-c.1652) was one of the most talented and adaptable Baroque painters of her time. Not only was she excellent at painting emotional scenes, but she was also the first woman accepted into the Florentine Academy of Fine Arts. She also worked with Caravaggio as his only female pupil. Yet, Artemisia was forgotten for centuries.
In 1915, Italian art historian Roberto Longhi published an article speculating that people were misattributing her work as her father’s. Read on to discover more about Artemisia Gentileschi and her artworks.
Artemisia Gentileschi’s Early Years
Artemisia Gentileschi was born in Rome on July 8, 1593, but according to the birth certificate held in the Italian State Archive, she was born in 1590. Her father, Tuscan Baroque painter Orazio Gentileschi, was influenced by Caravaggio. Her mother, Prudenzia di Ottaviano Montoni, died in 1605 when Artemisia was twelve years old.
Following her mother’s death, Artemisa was raised by her father and spent most of her time in his workshop. Orazio saw his daughter’s talent early on and began training her in his studio, where the young Artemisia learned how to draw, paint, and mix colors. Her painting style was influenced by her father’s artworks, but her own paintings showed a more naturalist approach.
To nurture her daughter’s talent (more evident than that of her younger brothers), Orazio hired one of his friends, landscape painter Agostino Tassi, to continue training Artemisia. However, Tassi raped her when she was nineteen years old. Her father tried the rapist in court, making the scandal public.
Artemisia Gentileschi’s Trial
c. 1619. Source: Wikimedia Commons/ Uffizi Gallery, Florence
At the time, a woman could not file sexual assault charges. Thus, Orazio filed the charges for her daughter. On top of that, women were expected to marry their rapists to preserve their purity and honor. So instead of filing charges of rape, the court had to charge Tassi for property damage.
Artemisia was physically and mentally picked apart to discover the truth. Midwives inspected her body in court to ensure that she was a virgin. She also had her thumbs pressed to test if she was telling the truth. Due to the patriarchal system in Renaissance Italy, many people accused her of being a prostitute or impure. In the end, Tassi was arrested for two years.
The traumatic event was a defining moment in Artemisia’s life, directly influencing her art. Indeed, part of what makes her artworks so poignant is its themes of sexual assault and assertive women. She drew from her own experiences as a woman in Renaissance Italy.
Artemisia Gentileschi’s Success as an Artist
Thankfully, Artemisia did not let the trial stop her from propelling her success. In 1616, she was accepted into the Florentine Academy of Fine Arts. Cosimo II, of the Medici Family, quickly became one of her patrons. She also made a friend in Galileo Galilei, whom she once thanked for helping her secure payment for her work.
Within her personal life, she had daughters with the husband she was married off to in Florence, Pietro Stiattesi. She eventually separated from her husband and enjoyed a 40-year-long career moving around cities and nations to meet commissions. Another one of her patrons was King Charles I of England, who commissioned her to paint his wife Queen Henrietta Maria’s ceiling in her Greenwich house.
Although she faced many trials as a woman, her sex did give her one small advantage. She was allowed to work with nude female models. Of course, not every painter cared about following these rules. For example, Caravaggio modeled his drawings after peasants and prostitutes. Nonetheless, she was capable of translating very honest, bold depictions of women onto canvas.
Artemisia Gentileschi’s Most Powerful Paintings
Scholars often compare Judith Slaying Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi to Caravaggio’s rendition of the same scene. The pieces are inspired by a Biblical story of Judith, a woman who saved her town during a siege by seducing the general Holofernes. After this, she severed his head and used it as an example to drive the other soldiers to leave.
Both paintings are dramatic, but many consider Artemisia Gentileschi’s rendition of Judith and Holofernes more realistic. Caravaggio’s Judith appears to do the job in a clean swoop. Meanwhile, Artemisia’s Judith is struggling but has a determined expression. Scholars and fans alike have speculated that Judith is Artemisia’s alter ego, a symbol of her own fight against Tassi.
Susanna and the Elders, 1610
Artemisia made her painting Susanna and the Elders when she was 17, and it’s her earliest known work. People were already impressed with how well she showed female anatomy. As is common with Baroque art, this story comes from the Bible.
Susanna, a young woman, went out to the gardens for a bath. Two older men found her and pried her for sexual favors, threatening to ruin her reputation if she disagreed. Upon denying them, they went through with their promise. But when a man named Daniel questioned their claims, they fell apart. Again, Artemisia portrayed a struggling, displeased woman instead of a passive character in her story.
Lucretia, c. 1623
Lucretia is a woman in Roman mythology who was assaulted by the King of Rome’s youngest son. She told her father and her husband, Roman commander Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus, about what happened before killing herself at knifepoint. It is said that citizens were so angry about this that they overthrew the Roman monarchy and turned it into a republic.
Many view this painting as an example of women rebelling against tyranny. Some sources highlight that the painting does not portray the assault but focuses on the woman handling the aftermath instead. This depiction encourages viewers not to glamorize assault, in contrast to some Renaissance art that shows assault in “heroic” contexts.
Artemisia Gentileschi: Modern Controversies and Legacy
Some audiences still glamorize Artemisia’s story today. For example, the 1997 French-German-Italian film Artemisia was controversial because it portrayed Artemisia Gentileschi falling in love with Tassi. Film director Agnes Merlet argued that even if it is clear there was an attack, she believes Artemisia loved him. Artemisia did say she considered marrying him, but it is possible she only thought this to save her honor.
More recently, the play Artemisia’s Intent won the Best Solo Drama at the 2018 FRIGID Festival. It was partially inspired by the MeToo movement. In a way, you could say that Artemisia Gentileschi was ahead of her time because her work fits a modern cause. In fact, many people referenced her story when American Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was accused of rape.
Artemisia’s work was celebrated for its impressive realism and Baroque techniques. Today, she is not only recognized for her talent but as a woman who fought relentlessly against adversity and intimidation.
