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Artemisia Gentileschi

Feminism is the belief that men and women should be equal politically, economically,
and socially. This belief found its earliest and one of its most eloquent expression in the life and
works of Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1652/53). Born to Orazio Gentileschi, a well-known
Roman artist of the late Renaissance, she managed to curve out a very successful career as an
artist at a time when painting was almost exclusively a male field. Her works show a strong
attempt to present a female viewpoint that was virtually non-existent at the time.

Being a woman, Artemisia Gentileschi could not attend the art academies of the time
despite having a famous artist as a father. She, therefore, learnt most of her painting through
working with her father in his studio. To make her techniques more refined, her father hired a
fellow painter, Agostino Tassi, to train her. Unfortunately, Tassi betrayed Artemisia’s trust and
raped her (Cohen, 2000). The act so enraged her father that he sued Tassi. The court proceedings
proved traumatic for the young Artemisia as she was forced to prove the accuracy of her claims
(Cohen, 2000). This terrible in her life that represented humiliation of women and the lack of
recourse when they were violated was to become a subject of many her paintings thereafter
(Christiansen & Mann, 2013).

Artemisia’s feminism is often viewed as being a result of the ordeal she went through
during her rape case. There is, however, clear evidence that her feminism emerged earlier. At
just seventeen and before the rape case, Artemisia painted one of her most famous work –
Susanna and the Elders. The painting depicts two elderly men spying on a bathing Susanna. The
two men attempt to blackmail her by threatening to falsely accuse her of adultery (Silvers, 2010).
This Biblical theme was common at the time and most of the male artists who covered it

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presented Susanna either as unaware of the men’s presence or flirtatiously encouraging them on.
However, in her Susanna and the Elders, Artemisia presents Susana as extremely uncomfortable
and distressed at the being watched while bathing (Silvers, 2010). Thus, rather than presenting
the incident as something normal or even enjoyable as her male counterparts had done, she
presents it as being extremely traumatic for Susanna.

She continues with her feminism theme in perhaps her most famous painting – Judith
Slaying Holofernes. This is yet another Biblical theme where Judith murders Holofernes, an
Assyrian general, after seducing him. Her act of murder saves Jews. Most of the male artists of
the time who had painted a similar scene focused on Judith’s beauty and courage of carrying out
such a daring act and not the actual conduct of the beheading. In fact, in some paintings she is
represented as being uncomfortable at what she had done. However, Artemisia’s depiction of
Judith is of a woman energetically and powerfully beheading the Assyrian general (Straussman-
Pflanzer, 2013). The painting, therefore, celebrates the physical strength of a woman and her
power over the man she is beheading (Christiansen & Mann, 2013). This depiction of Judith as a
courageous and physically strong woman contrasts sharply with views of the time that depicted
women as physically weak and timid.
Apart from these strongly feminist works, Artemisia’s own life has made her a celebrated
early feminist. Unlike most women of the time she had her own career and interacted with highly
accomplished men on equal basis (Locker, 2015). Thus, both in her life and works, she exhibited
strikingly modern feminist attitudes.

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Annotated Bibliography

Cohen, E. (2000). “The Trials of Artemisia Gentileschi: A Rape as History”. The Sixteenth
Century Journal. 
In this book, Cohen looks at the depiction of Artemisia at different times and, therefore,
sheds light on how modern feminist views have influenced interpretation of Artemisia’s
works and her life. As the author notes, she was treated in the 16 th century as a flirt
following her rape case. However, this view has changed in modern times as she is now
treated as a feminist hero resisting male sexual violence. Using primary documents, the
author puts Artemisia into the context of 17 th century in which she lived.
Christiansen, K. And Mann, J. (2013). Artemisia Gentileschi. ​Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi.
Metropolitan Museum Of Art.
In this well-researched work on the life of Artemisia Gentilesch, Christiansen and Mann,
both accomplished scholars of old European art, argue that today’s understanding of the
concept of feminism is the main lens through which the works of Artemisia Gentileschi are
interpreted. Additionally, discussion of her work is primarily related to her life’s events,
particularly her rape case. As the authors note, this stereotyping of Artemisia’s work as
related to her life’s events has sometimes led scholars to “question the attribution of
pictures that do not conform to the model, and to value less highly those that do not fit the
mold” (Christiansen & Mann, 2013). The book does a good job at extensively analyzing
feminist interpretation of Artemisia’s work and the problems associated with such a focus.
Locker, J. (2015). Artemisia Gentileschi: The Language of Painting. Yale University Press.

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In this highly refreshing work by Jesse Locker, a renowned Baroque art scholar, the
author examines the life of Artemisia Gentileschi as an independent artist in various
Italian cities. The image one gets from reading the book is that of a woman that was
highly accomplished and highly regarded by her peers wherever she went. That her art
was appreciated greatly can be attested by the high social status that characterized her
patrons. The only weakness of the book is that it completely ignores the artist’s earlier
life, particularly her rape and the ensuing rape case that not only left her devastated but
also had a long-lasting impact on her art.
Silvers, D. (2010). The Heart of a Woman and the Soul of a Caesar. University of South
Florida.
In this essay, Silvers, an accomplished student of old European art, looks at Artemisia’s
trilogy of Susanna and the Elders. She argues that the few changes that Artemisia makes
on the painting over her life shows the enduring belief in feminism throughout her life.
The painting was first made when she was just seventeen. She makes a second one when
she’s a middle-aged woman. The last is made when she is relatively old. In all these
versions the only thing that she changes is the age of Susanna. It is clear that the painting
was deeply personal to Artemisia. It is as if she is relating her life with Susanna’s. The
essay’s strength lies in its clear depiction of how Artemisia seamlessly incorporated her
own personal experiences into her paintings.
Straussman-Pflanzer, E. (2013). Violence & virtue: Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith slaying
Holofernes. Chicago: The Art Institute of Chicago.

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Straussman-Pflanzer is a renowned curator of European paintings at the Art Institute of
Chicago. In this work, she examines the most famous of Artemisia’s work – Judith
Slaying Holofernes. According to her, the work is a reflection of the fascination with
violence that was exhibited by Baroque artists. It is only after understanding the
symbolism of violence at the time can one understand the uniqueness of Artemisia’s
depiction of Judith. The work certainly does a good at showing the feminist perspective
of violence that is represented by Artemisia’s painting.