Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1654)

Artemisia

Wonderful Female Painters

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Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1654)

Image: Judith Slaying Holofernes (1613)

Artemisia is one of the few women who managed to impose themselves and obtain their deserved place in the history of painting.

Her path was not easy, as we might expect, but she achieved recognition that allowed her to work in various European courts. She became the first woman member of the Gallery of the Academy of Florence.

She learned the rigorousness of drawing from her father, Orazio Gentileschi, a renowned painter. She was greatly influenced by Caravaggio, realism and dramatic tension, almost theatrical, can be appreciated in her works, and she used the chiaroscuro technique. That is why she is considered a “Caravaggist.” She was so good that many times, in front of her paintings, the first thing we think is that they are paintings by Caravaggio himself.

The painting illustrated here is her best known work. It is a work that impresses for the bloody, brutal violence it represents. It is often interpreted as a desire for revenge for the violence that the artist herself suffered at a very young age when she was raped by her painting teacher.

Artemisia was a very talented painter. However, the first thing that for centuries has attracted the attention of critics and anyone who evaluates her works is the fact that she was a woman. A “terrible woman,” as she came to be considered.

Recommended links:

Baroque.

Characteristic Elements of Baroque Painting.

Rembrandt, Synonym of Chiaroscuro and Baroque.

Rubens, Wonderful Example of Baroque Painting.

Fundamental Paintings to Understand the History of Painting: The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, Caravaggio.

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