Artemisia Gentileschi Essay

Artemisia Gentileschi was born in Rome in 1593. Her father was Orazio Gentileschi, a very well-known artist in Rome at that time. At this time, men ruled the art world. This was the post-renaissance era, and women were only involved in portrait painting. She was known for painting religious and historical scenes, paving the way for other female artists. She received training from her father in her early years as an artist. Gentileschi, tragically, was raped by an artist who was friends with her father. He was exiled from Rome when put to trial. She also lost her mother when she was 12. Her childhood and young adult years were not easy. Through her struggles, she managed to overcome all odds and make her work known in an art world run by men.

I had never heard of the artist Artemisia Gentileschi before this introductory Art course. Of all the paintings and sculptures found within the book, it was her work that stood out and spoke to me. "Judith and Maidservant with the head of Holofernes" is a particularly rich oil painting by the Italian Gentileschi, painted circa 1625 Europe. Her large canvas measures 72 and 1/2 inches by 55 and 3/4 inches and began as a biblical story telling inspiration come to life within the oil. Located at the Detroit Institute of Arts, the painting was a gift to the institute from Art collector Mr. Leslie H. Green in 1952. Artemisia was the daughter of a painter (and caravaggio influenced) Orazio Gentileschi, she was also the wife of little known artist

Artemisia Gentileschi and Judith Leyster were pioneers as women artists in the 16th-17th century Baroque period. They both were very talented and successful in their artistic careers despite being in a time where men dominated this field. Although they have this in common, their unique talents contributed to the Baroque art period in different ways.

Judith Slaying Holofernes is one of her masterpieces that has been acknowledged as a proper piece to understand the main characteristics of her painting style. Carol Strickland, an American art historian, explains that this painting shows how Gentileschi depicted her subject into the style of Caravaggio, who was her father’s teacher and famous for dramatic lightning (Strickland, 47). Based on these facts, some critics conjecture that Gentileschi may just have borrowed the dramatic story from the Book of Judith to express her technique that resembled that of Caravaggio. They argue that it is unreasonable and too subjective to relate Judith Slaying Holofernes with the identity of Gentileschi. Identity of Gentileschi, however, cannot be separated with the story of Judith and the painting Judith Slaying Holofernes because Gentileschi’s identity severely resembles that of Judith. Their struggle, success leaded by their capacity, and destruction of the gender stereotypes are main common aspects that Judith and Gentileschi share. These qualities further prove how Artemisia Gentileschi was an ideal feminist who asserted her freedom inside an unfair

 It seemed as if the court almost condoned his actions and felt little pity for Artemisia.  Her paintings, at this point in her life, become drastically different.  In about 1612, she paints the first of five works of Judith and Holoferness.  The gory scene shows Holoferness, an Assyrian general being beheaded by Judith, a Jewish widow.  The scene shows ample amount of blood, however, it does not feel like a room of murder.  The killing of Holoferness by Judith is done in order to protect her homeland and life.  Also, she prays to god in order to give her the strength to do the killing.  Therefore, she felt it was justifiable.  It is a rare message for the early 1600's in that it is the woman avenging a man.  The powerful scene  of   It seems that Artemisia paints these works in order to avenge her own suffering from Tossi as well as the justice system.  By depicting such a strong and powerful woman, Artemisia is, in a sense, creating a world which she believes in.  In this world, women can speak up and women are heard.  Women are just as capable of murder, leadership, and power as any man.  Artemisia paints four more scenes of Judith and Holoferness all varying slightly.  However, her overall theme and meaning of the work is consistent.  Simply put, Judith is a woman to be looked at and respected for being a strong willed woman who stands up for what she

The author also talks about the story of Susanna and the Elders. Apparently Artemisia Gentileschi painted three versions of this biblical story at three different stages in her life, 1610, 1622, and 1649. The author did a comparison on the three Susanna paintings and she argues that it is noticeable that the abstracting qualities of the 1610 painting change its concept or meaning from one form of story telling to another. She argues that the abstract form of story telling serves the purpose of finding a visual equivalent to the “deafening silence”. She explains that the 1622 Susanna and the Elders speaks a different language, and so does the 1649 version.

In Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith and Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes Judith is depicted with her maidservant after the head of Assyrian general Holofernes has been chopped off. The Assyrian Army was to beseech Judith’s town Bethulia. Judith is a jewish widow, who was invited to have dinner with Holofernes. After a night of drinking she attempts to seduce him in order to chop his head off, and save her people. This is the second image in a series of three Gentileschi produces, here she has succeeded in her mission, and is attempting to get away.

Artemisia Gentileschi was not the first to paint Judith Slaying Holofernes. Her father had painted Judith. Michelangelo, Botticelli and Caravaggio had painted Judith. Donatello had sculpted Judith. But she was the first to interpret the story of Judith, in a time when women had few rights, as an allegory for female dominance. In comparison with other contemporary versions, the composition, dramatic style, and emotions of the characters present a violently feminist view that may have stemmed from Gentileschi's own experiences.

we saw a crazy spiral when Abigail started to conceal information about the night's activities and resorted to an extreme form of behaviour by killing others. This play sheds light on how state and dominant cultural values can even sweep those who think otherwise. I mean if I am thinking logically and have moderate view, that won't matter if I find myself in such situation where people put their allegations for let’s say apostasy or make false charges, fake FIRs and if the media blows it out of proportion without investigation like it happens in this part of the world, there is just no way to escape from that vicious cycle (Miller, 1953). Nobody is safe if the state laws and the prevailing order is messed up. Proctor was worried of his reputation

Don’t hear my voice, road will tell where I am going, by breaking the darkness.

Considered one of the most important artists of the Baroque movement in Early Modern Europe, Artemisia Gentileschi, had to prove herself and break down the boundaries for a woman in a male dominated field. Artemisia was born in Rome on July 8, 1953 to Orazio and Prudentia Monotone Gentileschi, who died when the artist was only twelve years of age. Her upbringing was left to her father, who was also a well-known painter. He trained her since she was not permitted to learn in the studios of successful artists of the moment. Orazio introduced his daughter to the working artists of Rome including Caravaggio, whose tenebrism technique and chiaroscuro style had a great influence on her paintings.

Christina Rossetti uses flower symbolism and biblical allusions in “A Daughter of Eve” to address lost innocence and hypocritically placed guilt. She indirectly references the controversial subject in her poetic and lyrical style, as it was a topic considered too shameful or “unsavoury” for women.

Artemisia Gentileschi’s Venus and Cupid is a painting of an angel caressing a woman resting on the bed. In actuality, the painting is about Venus, the Goddess of Love, who is asleep in a very luxurious and classical environment. While she is asleep, Cupid diligently wields a peacock-feathered fan to keep away pests, which makes the environment more safe and peaceful. Primarily strong contrasting lights and darkness display Gentileschi’s work, perhaps inspired by both her father and Caravaggio. Her paintings are all primarily bold compositions for example the

In my opinion, the development of Western civilization is influenced by Greek culture because of Western knowledge, political systems, and procedures such as democracy and lawful equality originated there. The main reason is Greece is introduced as home of many “firsts” in the humanities, especially in Western civilization. Indeed, knowledge foundation of mathematics, medicine, astrology, or linguistics is nearly taken from the ancient Greece. For example, the Greek alphabet was the first alphabet in the Western sense of the word. The Greek alphabet include two letters called alpha and beta. Nowadays, the western alphabet has still created by the two letters, including letters such as A, B, E, and O. In addition, Greece is home of the first

With the speaker’s use of metaphors and Greek allusions, the idea of constancy in failed relationships is reworked to combat the misogynistic conception of female inconstancy. In Joan Kelly’s “Early Feminist Theory and the ‘Querelle des Femmes,’ 1400–1789,” she claims that female querelle writers “reject[ed] the distorted image of women” (Kelly 20) in religious texts and amatory poetry because women were often depicted as capricious “creatures” that men could not trust to be