If you’ve ever taken an art history class, you’ve heard of the Baroque period. People like Caravaggio, Velázquez, and Rubens likely come to mind, famous for their dark and dramatic works. One name that might not come to mind, however, even though it absolutely should, is Artemisia Gentileschi.
Gentileschi was an Italian painter and portraitist, and one of the defining artists of the period. Though not as well known as her male counterparts, Gentileschi was an incredibly successful artist; today, her works are exhibited in many of the most renowned galleries and museums in the world. Her pieces primarily featured female heroines from mythology, history, and Biblical stories, such as Judith (Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1612) or Susanna (Susanna and the Elders, 1610), and, more often than not, contained a central theme of feminine rage. Judith, for example, is shown murdering the general that was tormenting her village, and Susanna is miserably shoving away two men who are attempting to assault her while she bathes.
Unfortunately, much of the feminine rage present in Gentileschi’s works can be traced to a particular event in her life. At the age of seventeen, while her father (also an artist) was working on commission from the Borghese family in Rome, she was attacked and raped by his associate, Agostino Tassi. It was assumed that Tassi would marry her, in order to preserve the family’s honor, but he refused- not only that, he claimed that he had never violated her at all.
The matter was brought to court, and the trial would prove to be particularly grueling for Gentileschi. In order to ‘verify’ her testimony against Tassi, she was brutally tortured using thumb screws- a device which would crush the thumbs or fingers of a victim until the bones were snapped, while puncturing the flesh with sharp spikes. Despite this torture, Artemesia never wavered in her adamance. The Gentileschi family, eventually, won the trial. It is worth noting, however, that the charges against Tassi were for dishonoring the family’s name, not for violating Artemisia. His actions were considered an insult, a slander, instead of a violent assault. So, even though he was found guilty, Artemisia’s reputation was forever stained.
She didn’t let that stop her, though. Instead, she married another painter, moved to Florence- a cultural hotspot in that day- and flourished in an artistic career of her own. Gentileschi secured the patronage of the Medicis, the ruling family of the Florentine state, and became one of the most sought after artists of her time. She used her talent to earn a living, and channeled the rage of her violation into some of the most striking works of the entire Baroque period.
She was a phenomenally talented woman, and one that never let the atrocities of life stop her from achieving her highest potential. Her works, beneath their masterful brushwork and color usage, tell a story of resilience. They sing of the pain she endured. And, above all else, they serve as a tangible reminder of perseverance, even in the most dire of circumstances.