Self-portrait as the Allegory of Painting (La Pittura) (1638-1639) by Artemisia GentileschiRoyal Collection Trust, UK
Born on the 8 July 1593, Artemisia Gentileschi lived in an era where few women studied or worked in the arts. Despite this, she became an accomplished artist with international clients, and the first female member of the Florentine Accademia di Arte del Disegno.
The Royal Collection, London
In this self-portrait, Gentileschi depicts herself as the female personification of Painting - an identification her male colleagues could never make. This painting was probably made when she was invited to England by Charles I, and immediately entered into the Royal Collection.
Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria' during conservation in 2018 (about 1615-17) by Artemisia GentileschiThe National Gallery, London
The National Gallery, London
Down the road, the National Gallery holds this image of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a martyr of the early Christian church and a popular saint in art. She holds a broken spiked wheel, which was used to execute her after she rebuked the Roman emperor Maxentius.
This work, which may also be a self portrait, was painted around 1615, when Gentileschi was newly arrived in Rome and looking to promote herself. As Saint Catherine was one of the most holy women in Christianity, this image would have been very popular.
Danaë (c.1612) by Artemisia GentileschiThe National Gallery, London
The National Gallery, London
This subject allowed artists room to depict sumptuous surroundings and a sense of eroticism, under the guise of history. This highly accomplished artwork shows that Gentileschi was capable of taking on typically masculine subjects with ease and style.
Jael and Sisera (1620) by Artemisia GentileschiMuseum of Fine Arts, Budapest
Museum of Fine Art Budapest, Hungary
Some of the best known works by Gentileschi are the numerous violent murders and revenge killings that she seems to have depicted with glee, such as this image of Jael and Sisera at the Museum of Fine Art Budapest.
The Israelite Jael killed the Canaanite Sisera by first seducing him, exhausting him by having sex, and then driving a tent peg into his skull while he slept.
Some have connected this story and the gory subject to Gentileschi's own experience of rape at the hands of the artist Agostino Tassi, and her desire for revenge. Historians can't be certain, but it appears she did specialise in artworks that inverted male hierarchy.
Susanna and the Elders (1649/1649) by Artemisia GentileschiMoravian Gallery in Brno
The Moravian Gallery in Brno, Czechia
Susanna and the Elders is another Old Testament story that revolves around the violation of a woman. Two voyeurs falsely accused Susanna of adultery after she refused to have sex with them. As she was about to be executed, Daniel ordered the elders to be questioned.
Susanna's innocence was revealed when the men gave conflicting testimonies. She was saved, and they were put to death. The story is one of truth triumphing over lies, and of questioning authority. It's easy to see why people have linked this image to Gentileschi's life.
Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes (Between 1623 and 1625) by Artemisia GentileschiDetroit Institute of Arts
Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit
At the Detroit Institute of Arts is this dramatic work, Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes. The stark lighting and exaggerated poses of the characters suggest that this is supposed to be a contemporary stage play, rather than a real scene from history.
This painting also offers another explanation for Gentileschi's bloody subjects; that she was responding to the kinds of stories told on stage in theatres of the era. This theory seeks to expand Gentileschi from a one dimensional victim into a woman of the world.
Esther before Ahasuerus by Artemisia GentileschiThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Certainly, many of her works involved references to dramatic productions. This painting of Esther before Ahasuerus recounts the story of the Jewish heroine Esther, who appeared before King Ahasuerus to plead for her people, breaking with court etiquette and risking death.
Yet their highly fashionable contemporary clothing, neo-classical architecture, and the red velvet canopy shows that this scene isn't taking place in the ancient past, but in 1600s Baroque Europe. It could quite easily be a play being acted out in King Charles I court.
Judith and Holofernes (1620 - 1621) by Artemisia GentileschiUffizi Gallery
The Uffizi, Florence
Thanks for joining this world tour of Artemisia Gentileschi's art. Of course, there's many more paintings to see. Perhaps her most famous work of all, Judith and Holofernes (1612-13) can be found in Florence in The Uffizi. Why not start there, and see where her works take you?
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