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Female Italian Artists of the Baroque Period

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Female Italian Artists of the Baroque Period Many male artists during the Baroque Period were tremendously successful having received many commissions from a multitude of rich patrons. Their equally talented female counterparts were not as accepted in the male dominated society. Although equally talented, the patriarchal mentality of the times ensured a difficult road for some in the artistic world. The more prominent female artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Lavinia Fontana and Orsola Maddalena Caccia had the advantage of having fathers who were prodigious artists themselves and provided the training required for them to flourish as great virtuosos in their own right. I will show and explain some of their known works.
Artemisia Gentileschi was a very talented albeit restricted female artist during the Italian Baroque period. She was born in Rome on July 8, 1593, to Orazio Gentileschi and Prudentia Montoni. Her father, Orazio, was a great and highly sought after artist for his work in frescoes, altarpieces and portraits. A most notable patron was Pope Paul V. Orazio was surprised at his daughter’s talent for painting and ensured that he gave her the proper training. She has also had the distinct advantage of being surrounded by a variety of local and foreign artists. As young as twelve years old, Artemisia was able to expertly grind and mix her father’s pigments and assist him in small commissions. Her first known dated painting was Susanna and the Elders, completed

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