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In response to my recent plea for pre-1900 female artists (at the bottom of the post on Lady Laura Alma-Tadema), reader Megan suggested Artemisia Gentileschi’s “Judith Beheading Holofernes.” Gentileschi’s life and artwork are fascinating, and she is definitely a departure from the male artists we usually discuss in “Feel Art Again.” So, without further ado, I present Artemisia Gentileschi and “Judith Beheading Holofernes.”
1. Many of Artemisia Gentileschi’s paintings are retellings of biblical stories from the women’s perspectives. “Judith Beheading Holofernes,” of which she painted two versions, is one such example. The first version, completed by 1612 (and shown on the left), is considered to be inspired by Caravaggio’s 1598 painting of the same subject and title. The second version (shown on the right) was completed sometime between 1612 and 1622.
2. In the 17th century, although women of nobility and daughters of artists were often trained in artistic endeavors, they were not admitted to art academies and usually did not make their livings through painting. Artemisia Gentileschi was an exception, partly because her father, Orazio Gentileschi, was a well-known and well-regarded artist. He and his colleagues trained Artemisia, and he promoted his daughter’s talent to royalty, including the grand duchess of Tuscany, to whom he wrote:
“…she has become so skilled that I can venture to say that she has no peer; indeed, she has produced works which demonstrate a level of understanding that perhaps even the principal masters of the profession have not attained…”
3. Artemisia Gentileschi became a well-connected and well-respected artist, to the extent that several sources note that she “was reckoned not inferior to her father in history, and excelled him in portraits.” In 1616, she joined the Florentine Academia del Disegno as its very first female member. She surely met Caravaggio, of whom her father was a follower, and knew Michelangelo Buonarroti the younger, nephew of the great Michelangelo, who held her in high esteem and included her likeness in one of his paintings. She also maintained a long friendship with Galileo Galielei.
4. While she was a teen, Artemisia’s father hired Agostino Tassi, a landscape and seascape artist, to teach her perspective. In early 1612, the Gentileschis accused Tassi of raping Artemisia, which sparked a seven month, scandalous and much publicized trial. Although Tassi was imprisoned, the trial was quite a burden for Artemisia and sullied her family’s name. Tassi accused Artemisia (plus her mother and sisters) of being a whore and living in a bordello. The trial included physical torture of Artemisia, specifically of her hands, to prove her truthfulness, as well as a vaginal exam to prove her virginity prior to the rape. (Find out more about the trial, including witnesses and statements, here.)
5. After the Tassi trial, Artemisia was married off to a fellow painter, Pietro Antonio di Vincenzo Stiattesi, who had testified on her behalf. The marriage produced four children (only one of whom lived to adulthood), but only lasted 10 years. When the marriage fell apart, Artemisia became the head of her own household and raised her daughter, Prudenza (who also painted), by herself, which was possible since Artemisia was the first woman who managed to live exclusively by her brush. She evidently made “a splendid income,” with patronage from the Medici family and King Charles I.
6. For two or three years, Artemisia resided at the court of King Charles I in England. While there, she collaborated with her father on a large commission, the ceiling of the Queen’s House at Greenwich.
7. Artemisia Gentileschi’s tabloid-worthy life has been the subject of several biographical novels, several stage plays by Sally Clark, and a loosely-based 1997 Golden Globe-nominated film.
A larger version of Gentileschi’s first “Judith Beheading Holofernes” is available here, while the second version can be seen larger here.
‘Feel Art Again’ appears every Tuesday and Thursday.
Comments (10)
Comment
I love Artemisia’s work and even did a report on her when I was in high school. They say that the Holofernes in her paintings bears a very strong resemblance to Tassi, her alleged rapist…
posted by Marissa (Mental Floss) on 4-10-2008 at 5:19 pm
I love Artemisia’s artwork and even did a report on her work in high school. They say that the Holofernes in her paintings bears a close resemblance to Tassi, her alleged rapist. Hmm.
posted by Marissa (Mental FLoss) on 4-10-2008 at 5:23 pm
While I respect your eagerness to post about art, I think that you’ve left out some important details of Genteleschi’s career.
1)During her time as an apprentice to a master painter, and her various apprenticeships between master workshops, she was raped more than once, and hated the inferior position in which she found herself among men. A comparison of her Holofernes with that of Caravaggio might have made her vengeful treatment of him more clear.
2)The accompanying work, Judith with a Maidservant, actually shows the “after” scene of the beheading, with her depositing the his into a basket by candlelight. The contrast between her heroine Judith, and the horrified maidservant, also shows the influence of Genteleschi’s experiences. I can’t believe that it was missed.
3) Artemesia wasn’t the first to “make her living” off her brush. Sofonisba Anguissola was also a famous Renaissance artist who did much the same, though she was taught by her father, thus not ever raped.
posted by Jessy on 4-10-2008 at 7:06 pm
Jessy: The “Feel Art Again” posts aren’t meant to be full biographies or provide in-depth analysis of the artwork, but merely to point out interesting aspects of the artists’ lives and about their works. In the many sources I read, none mentioned other rapes, and several stated that she was the first woman to survive solely on the money from her art.
posted by Andréa on 4-10-2008 at 7:42 pm
Like a knife through warm butter.
posted by Jared Probst on 4-11-2008 at 2:12 am
“Judith and Holofernes” was a common theme at the time. She also did a painting of “Susanna and the Elders” with several historians linking a likeness of one of the male’s to resembling Tassi, but as it was painted in 1610 the alleged likeness to Tassi is ironic at best. I have a B.A. in art history and have had to study the artist as well as the rape trail rather extensively. Interesting sidenote, after leaving her husband, Gentileschi went to work for the English royal family as a portrait artist, and had an affair with a French troubadour named Nicholas Lanier who I’m descended from. Not quite as cool as being related to someone famous…but we take what we get.
posted by lizTA on 4-11-2008 at 9:32 am
Andrea,
This was a great post! I’ve been hoping to see Artemesia in here, so I’m glad to see someone suggested her. She was an amazing woman and a very talented artist. If you’re looking to do another modern artist, you might want to try Eva Hesse. Her work definitely isn’t to everyone’s taste, but again she’s a very interesting woman and a pioneer in her field. Or Judy Chicago! Also very cool. Ok, I’ll stop here.
posted by Lindsey on 4-11-2008 at 4:45 pm
This was a great installment, thanks for choosing Artemesia! (And I totally second Judy Chicago)
posted by Megan on 4-11-2008 at 10:23 pm
Andrea,
I’m an art historian, and it a hard-learned lesson that many scholars have had to learn in a very public, embarrassing manner. (If you think that message threads on the internet are bad, you should see what can happen at at research conferences. Yuck.) I appreciate the work that you do in writing your posts, as it is difficult to find an outlet in which one can freely write about any art whatsoever. It is obvious that you have researched the information for your posts, however, I think it would be nice, in addition to the links you provide, to add a few of the other sources from which you gleaned information into some sort of “if you’re interested in reading more…” section. I only mention the “if you’re reading more…” for the sake of the enquiring mind, and a few students i have tutored.
posted by Jessy on 4-17-2008 at 1:36 pm
I’m interested in the posst by lizTA, a descendant of the “French Troubadour, Nicholas Lanier.” She reports that Artemisia had an affair with Lanier when they met at the court of Charles I. My impression from various sources is that Nicholas Lanier the Younger learned some of his painting skills from Artemisia. Tell us more about this possible affair. J-win
posted by Joanna Foley on 7-8-2008 at 6:45 pm