Artemisia Gentileschi (1593 - 1653)
Related: baroque - feminism - Judith (painting) - Italian art - women
In the baroque era, women such as Artemesia Gentileschi created images of women as conscious beings rather than detached muses. One of the best examples of this novel expression is in Artemesia Gentileschi's Judith and Holofernes, in which Judith is depicted as a strong woman determining her own destiny. While other artists, including Botticelli and even female artist Fede Galizia depicted the same scene with a passive Judith, Gentileschi's Judith appears to be an able actor in the task at hand. [Apr 2006]
Artemisia (1997) - Agnès Merlet [Amazon.com] [FR] [UK]
Judith Beheading Holofernes (1612-21) - Artemisia Gentileschi
Biography
Artemisia Gentileschi (July 8, 1593 - 1653) was an Italian Early Baroque painter, today considered one of the most accomplished painters in the generation influenced by Caravaggio (Caravaggisti). In an era when women painters were not easily accepted by the artistic community, she was the first female painter to become a member of the Accademia dell' Arte del Disegno in Florence. She was also one of the first female artists to paint historical and religious paintings, at a time when such heroic themes were considered beyond a woman's reach. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemisia_Gentileschi [Apr 2006]
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