Being a woman during the Renaissance was hard. Being an acclaimed painter was even harder. Luckily for Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653), her skill and connections enabled her to be the first ever woman admitted to the Florentine Academy of Design in 1616. She came to be known as the as the most important woman painter of the Early Modern Europe. Unfortunately, Gentileschi was raped at the age of 19, an event that changed her life forever. Strong woman that she was, Gentileschi took her crime to trial and was adamant about putting the man in jail. He was convicted of rape and sentenced to prison for less than a year. Succeeding his releasement, he was invited back into the Gentileschi household. The horrors of her youth were shown in her work. She became fascinated with the story of Judith and Holofernes: after the Assyrians had besieged her city, the strong pious Jewish widow Judith seduced the general Holofernes with the intention of murdering him and saving her people from destruction. She depicted multiples paintings of the story of "Judith Slaying Holofernes".
My favorite is the one she painted in 1620 in the Baroque style. The strong use of light and shadows, heavily influenced by Caravaggio's style, reveals drama, dynamism, and depth. Gentileschi was not shy to show gore, as blood oozes and splatters from Holofernes' neck onto the white sheets and the women. What is great about this painting is the physical and psychological strength that is seen in both of these women. They are strong young women working in unison, unscared of the brutality of their actions. Judith has her sleeves rolled up and holds a firm grip on the sword. Her body is not frail nor fragile. Her gaze is focused, her face concentrated: she does not flinch. Her maidservant is depicted similarly, as she has a firm grip on Holofernes and her face is solid. The message is clear: women can be strong and independent, no matter what society says.
The image is currently located at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
Here is a link that further explains the painting:
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/baroque-art1/baroque-italy/v/gentileschi-judith
Sources:
Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes. Khan Academy, 2016. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/baroque-art1/baroque-italy/a/gentileschi-judith-slaying-holofernes
Artemisia Gentileschi: Biography and Art. Art History Archive. http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/baroque/Artemisia-Gentileschi.html
My favorite is the one she painted in 1620 in the Baroque style. The strong use of light and shadows, heavily influenced by Caravaggio's style, reveals drama, dynamism, and depth. Gentileschi was not shy to show gore, as blood oozes and splatters from Holofernes' neck onto the white sheets and the women. What is great about this painting is the physical and psychological strength that is seen in both of these women. They are strong young women working in unison, unscared of the brutality of their actions. Judith has her sleeves rolled up and holds a firm grip on the sword. Her body is not frail nor fragile. Her gaze is focused, her face concentrated: she does not flinch. Her maidservant is depicted similarly, as she has a firm grip on Holofernes and her face is solid. The message is clear: women can be strong and independent, no matter what society says.
The image is currently located at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
Here is a link that further explains the painting:
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/baroque-art1/baroque-italy/v/gentileschi-judith
Sources:
Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes. Khan Academy, 2016. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/baroque-art1/baroque-italy/a/gentileschi-judith-slaying-holofernes
Artemisia Gentileschi: Biography and Art. Art History Archive. http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/baroque/Artemisia-Gentileschi.html
Great explanation Chanel! This is one of my favorite paintings of the baroque area. You do a great job of giving this painting a background and giving it some life. Without this explanation this painting may just like absolutely cruel. You've given this piece a lot of meat on it since Judith is getting rid of a lot of it with that knife!
ReplyDeleteYou brought this painting to live for me, Chanel. I had never seen or hear about this painting before, but now I want to head to Florence to see it in person.
ReplyDeleteThis article is really interesting! I like how you told us about the artist's life first, and then showed how that related to the painting. The way you focus on the women's strength is a nice touch. Also, I really like that picture at the bottom.
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