Artemisia Gentileschi
(1593-1653)
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.
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Tassi denied all the accusations and brought several witnesses to testify on his behalf, but possibly the most infuriating part of his testimony for Artemisia was when he stated that on the day of the rape he was teaching her the rules of perspective because her skills were pathetic. Nevertheless, Tassi was found guilty but regrettably only served under a year in prison.
After the trial was over, Artemisia was married off to a Florentine artist by the name of Pietro Antonio di Vincenzo Stiattesi in order to regain some of her reputation. It is believed that the couple moved to Florence shortly after their marriage, because Rome proved to be a very difficult place for them to live due to the public notoriety Artemisia had received from the trial. During her marriage to Pietro it is believed that the couple parented a daughter by the name of either Prudentia or Palmira. Regrettably, the marriage did not last long, but there is evidence that the couple worked at the Academy of Design in Florence and in 1616 Artemisia received the extraordinary honor of becoming an official member, most likely due to the support of her patron, the Grand Duke Cosimo II member of the notable and influential Medici family, whom had commissioned several of her paintings.
Even though Artemisia had to struggle with many difficulties early in her life she was able to draw strength from them and turn them into unique pieces of art. In the words of John Loughery, “Exacting craft is one
Alessandro Filipepi most commonly known as Sandro Botticelli was born in Florence, Italy around 1445. Botticelli began studying under Renaissance painter Fra Filippo Lippi at the age of 16 and would go on to become one of the most acclaimed artists in Italy during his lifetime. During the Renaissance, art
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.
Another interesting commonality between the two is that Anguissola’s mother died when she was around 4 or 5. Similarly, Gentileschi lost her mother at a young age, when she was around 12 years old. Gentileschi must have struggled more as a result than her fortunate predecessor, as she was not from prestigious family. Her father was a fairly well-known artist who worshipped Michelangelo Merisi Caravaggio’s style, especially his use of tenebrism. This adoration was imparted to his daughter Artemisia, who often copied this style. Intriguingly, there is a bizarre connection even in this. There is some rumor that a drawing that Anguissola had sent to the famed artist Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (the more famous one), had ended up in a notebook belonging to Giorgio Vasari, and is suspected to have been discovered by Caravaggio, which later inspired his painting ‘Boy Bitten by a Lizard’. There is a clear connection through time between these two women. Yet, in a way seems to have been founded through pure chance and phenomenon. As hard as it is to believe, this is not the only person who intertwines these women together. Anthony Van Dyke visited Anguissola when she was very old, and blind, but spent hours
Artemisia Gentileschi is believed to have been born around 1593 and died around 1652. Both dates are disputed to the current day. She was one of five children and was born into the life of an artist. Her father, who was an artist as well, loved her greatly. Her mother died when she was twelve. Artemisia was always a skilled painter, but her father wanted even more for her daughter. While her works were already amazing for her age, she needed artistic guidance in order to further her skills. One man who was hired as a tutor was named Agostino Tossi. Tossi almost immediately was an annoying presence in the house frustrating Artemisia. However, in 1610,
Italian Baroque painter, Artemisia Gentileschi was born in Rome on July 8th, 1593. Her father Orazio Gentileschi, who was a painter himself, introduced Artemisia to the art of painting by giving her lessons in his studio. At an early age, Artemisia displayed her interest in art and it wasn’t long until her father noticed potential in his daughter enough that she would be able to make a name for herself in the male-dominated career. Artemisia had the desire to follow in her father’s footsteps, it was then that Orazio encouraged her to follow her dreams and decided to begin training her as an artist.
Artemisia continued an affair with Agostino under the promise of marriage, when the marriage never happened, her father brought charges against Tassi and a trial ensued, to which Artemisia was tortured during a gynecological examination for the trial. Again life imitating art and a testament toward the women depicted in her paintings. Miss Gentileschi married a man named Pierantonio Stiattesi and they moved to Florence. As mentioned, Artemisia had 5 children, however only her daughter Prudentia survived into adulthood. After her mother's death in 1656, Prudentia disappeared from history.
Nanette Salomon, a very well known feminist writer, wrote the article, “Judging Artemisia: A Baroque Woman in Modern Art History.” The article opens up with a discussion about the 2001-2 exhibition of Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi: Father and Daughter Painters in Baroque Italy. The author explains that three things are unusual here: the fact that two famous artists were presented at the same time, that they were related as father and daughter, and the fact that the woman was better known than the man. Her intent in this article is to look at the effects of this trope (figure of speech) in the past and in the present.
Artemisia Gentileschi was an Italian female artist born on July 8th 1593 in Rome. She was born to Orazio Gentileschi, a well-known Italian artist and her mother Prudentia Montone who died when Artemisia was only 12 years old. She had a rough childhood growing up in a male dominated era where her talents were often overlooked, she was rejected from art academies but luckily had her father to help her learn how to paint. Her father agreed to have Artemisia tutored by his coworker Agostinio Tassi in 1611 who eventually raped Artemisa. Her father pressed charges 9 months later when Tassi decided not to marry Artemisa and was sentenced to 1 year in prison that he never served. The trauma of her rape deeply inspired her work in which she painted
The passage that I read is about renowned female Baroque (and Renaissance) painter Artemisia Gentileschi.She was taught by her father at a young age. However, as a teenager, Gentileschi was sexually assaulted by another artist and friend of her neighbor, Agostino Tassi. Later on in her life, she returned to painting and married painter Pietro Stiattesi. They eventually separated, and Artemisia lived a life of self-reliance and independence. Her art emphasized classical and biblical themes, but also focused on stories, especially of women. She also used female characters as metaphors to convey themes like oppression, suffering, injustice, and triumphs of women. Gentileschi gained popularity soonafter, and became the first woman to be admitted
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio better known as simply Caravaggio was an Italian Baroque master painter born in Italy around 1571. After he apprenticed with a painter in Milan, he moved to Rome, where he lived for most of his life. His work influenced painters around Europe. He’s most known for his gruesome subjects and use of Tenebrism, which was a technique that used heavy shadow to
Artemisia Gentileschi was born Artemisia Gentileschi-Lomi in Rome on 8 July 1593, although her birth certificate from the Archivio di Stato indicated she was born in 1590, the eldest child of the Tuscan painter Orazio Gentileschi and Prudentia Montone.[3] Artemisia was introduced to painting in her father's workshop, showing much more talent than her brothers, who worked alongside her. She learned drawing, how to mix color, and how to paint. Since her father's style took inspiration from Caravaggio during that period, her style was just as heavily influenced in turn. Her approach to subject matter was different from her father's, however, as her paintings are highly naturalistic, where Orazio's are idealized. At the same time, Artemisia had
Unfortunately at age 18, a tragic event happened that greatly impacted her life. She was raped by her tutor, Agostino Tassi. Her father had asked Tassi to teach his daughter when she was denied from the all-male art academies. During the lessons, Tassi tried several times to be alone with the young Artemisia. He eventually success in achieving his goal. After the rape, Tassi continued to asked for sexual favors. When he refused to
Artemisia Gentileschi's Madonna and Child, was created during the Baroque Period, c. 1609 (Brash), when the Catholic Church was sponsoring the arts to return to traditions Protestantism had disregarded (Baroque Artists). Created in Rome, this painting shows the mother, Madonna, holding her child, the young
Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith Beheading Holofernes Although now praised for her work as an incredibly accomplished, feminist artist, Artemisia Gentileschi’s works were nearly expunged from history by those who believed her incapable of such skill. As a female painter in the 17th century she faced innumerable challenges in pursuing work as an artist, including, but not limited to; her exclusion from apprenticeship in the arts, the damage sustained to her reputation after a lengthy rape trial in which she was tortured to prove her credibility and subsequent defamation after the trial. After her death critics claimed her work as her father’s or husband’s, not until recently did she begin to see the credit she deserved (Poggioli, 2016). One of her most famous
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