History is full of women’s cries drowned out… We do not forget, after all, all those women – even if we do not know who or precisely how many they were – whose achievements or skills have been forgotten, buried by the haughty gaze of patriarchy over the centuries. And probably there are so many of them that the infinitesimal portion of space-time that we think we own is not enough to remember and acknowledge them.
Thank goodness for civilization, some females managed to shake off the suffocating shackles of patriarchy and thus conquer what rightfully belonged to them – a place in history. So, I urge you to spare a thought for such a woman today and initiate a conversation about her. As my mind is bursting with paintings, I feel it would be fitting to start the discussion by mentioning my favorite painter: Artemisia Gentileschi.
Artemisia Gentileschi was born in Rome on 8 July 1593. She is considered to be one of the greatest painters of the 17th century and her talent was so great that by the age of fifteen, she was already able to make art professionally. A pupil of her father Orazio Gentileschi – who was a loyal follower of Caravaggio – and the painter Agostino Tassi, Artemisia Gentileschi in her early artistic steps adopted her father’s style, a more lyrical approach to Caravaggio’s style.
Despite her admirable virtuosity, what overshadowed Gentileschi’s achievements until recently was her being raped by Tassi and her later torture at the infamous trial in 1612 in order to provide evidence. Another example of how patriarchy stigmatizes – in its attempt to define – and mangles the female existence… Despite this and the adverse conditions of the time, Artemisia Gentileschi never allowed this incident to define her for even a moment.
On the contrary, she soon managed to develop her Baroque style and gained a reputation of international renown. Artemisia Gentileschi was the first woman to become a member of the Accademia di Arte del Disegno in Florence in 1616. It was there that she developed a personal style in her painting. In particular, on the one hand, she continued to employ the tenebrism, a technique introduced by Caravaggio. In tenebrism, extreme contrasts of light and dark are used in compositions mainly involving illuminated figures on a dark background, thus sharpening the dramatic pulse emitted by the painting.
On the other hand, the subjects that Artemisia Gentileschi focused on in her paintings are historical matters inspired by myths or the Bible, and the figures depicted are usually female. What made Gentileschi stand out was her mastery of painting female figures with exquisite naturalism – a movement linked to the development of linear perspective during the Renaissance, in which the aim was for the representation on canvas to have the least possible distortion. At the same time, Gentileschi was known for her mastery of using color to convey dimension and express lyricism in her paintings.
Artemisia Gentileschi settled around 1630 with her family in Naples, where she successfully ran her own studio. In 1939 she visited London where she worked alongside her father for King Charles I. During her lifetime, she visited many cities, produced great and admirable works and acquired clients from all over Europe. Although the exact date of her death remains unknown it is dated around 1656.
A groundbreaking woman, well-travelled for her time and skilled, but at the same time misunderstood and underestimated for centuries. Although forcibly wronged, Artemisia Gentileschi regained control of herself by refusing to succumb to patriarchal constraints. “As long as I live, I will have control over my being”, she once wrote. Now, apart from being a feminist symbol – rightfully so – she is considered one of the most progressive and expressive artists of the 17th century and her works are exhibited in the greatest galleries, museums and art institutes.
Concluding with her own words,
“My mustrious lordship, I’ll show you what a woman can do”.
And so, she did…
References:
Wikipedia. (2023, April 14). Artemisia Gentileschi. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemisia_Gentileschi
The National Gallery. (n.d.). Artemisia Gentileschi. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/artemisia-gentileschi
Britannica. (2023, March 23). Artemisia Gentileschi. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Artemisia-Gentileschi
Anika D. (2019, July 8). Artemisia Gentileschi – From Facts and Fiction to Feminist Inspiration. Widewalls. https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/artemisia-gentileschi-facts-fiction-feminist-inspiration
Lewis H. (2021, January 10). Isn’t She Good—For a Woman?. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2021/01/feminist-rediscovery-artemisia-gentileschi-uk-national-gallery/617327/
Britannica. (n.d.). Tenebrism. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/art/tenebrism
Wikipedia. (2023, April 17). Realism (arts). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realism_(arts)
