Artemisia Gentileschi is an artist whose biography, namely one specific event in her biography, has cast a long shadow over interpretation of her work. Artemisia was raped by Agostino Tassi, a fellow painter and friend of her father (Orazio Gentileschi, who taught her daughter to paint). It is unclear the extent to which this rape (and the trial that followed) impacted Artemisia's work, however the drama of the events has given the artist a lot of attention.
Artemisia's work is extremely powerful. Her use of chiaroscuro, in which the influence of Caravaggio can be seen, and her dramatic choice of subject matter create an indisputable forcefulness to her paintings. Particularly in Judith Beheading Holofernes (c. 1615), where she chose to paint the most violent moment of the story, there is a violent energy to her work. This energy is often categorized as sexual energy when paired with the details of Artemisia's rape and trial. Though it seems clear that Artemisia was a strong and resilient woman, claiming Judith Beheading Holofernes to be a revenge painting is a dangerous game.
References:
Cohen, Elizabeth S. "The Trials of Artemisia Gentileschi: A Rape as History," Sixteenth Century Journal, Vol. 31, No. 1, Special Edition: Gender in Early Modern Europe (Spring 2000).
Art:
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence
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