I have always been taught that
the 1600s, due to the Renaissance, were a time of great change and innovation
in all parts of life, including art.
However, my education has never gone much beyond that statement, so I
wanted to learn a bit more about some of the specifics of that change and the
rise of artists we now revere. Looking
through a book that described itself as an introduction to the artistic
developments of the era in Western Europe (“17th Century Art and
Architecture”), I actually found myself fascinated by an artist I had never
heard mentioned in my history classes (unsurprisingly, as they were not
centered around art but rather the whole of Western civilization).
Artemisia Gentileschi was an
Italian Baroque painter who lived from 1593 to 1656. My attention was first drawn to her because
she was female, and even I, with my very limited knowledge of art history, knew
that there were very few female painters as women were not considered talented
enough to work. As I read more about
her, I learned that she is now considered one of the best painters in the
generation after Michelangelo Caravaggio (this piqued my interest a little
further because even though I know very little about his work, I have heard his
name). What really caught and stayed my
attention, however, was her best-known painting, Judith Beheading Holofernes, completed around 1611.
This is a scene from the Bible’s
Old Testament Book of Judith, and is the climax of Judith’s story as she
assassinates the Assyrian general and saves the Israelites. Gentileschi is known for her realism, bold
strokes, and strong female figures who do not fit into the gentle, passive
stereotype that would have existed even more strongly while she was alive than
today. Gentileschi was raped while a nearby
female acquaintance did nothing to help her, and she testified at the trial
charging her rapist. Her works often
show female solidarity.
The painting above is Judith and her Maidservant, completed
around 1613. This is the same Biblical
Judith, with her maid carrying the severed head of Holofermes. This painting is known for its use of extreme
lights and darks (chiaroscuro and tenebrism).
Once again, the women are depicted boldly, with Judith comfortably
resting her dagger on her shoulder.
Gentileschi continued to
challenge the common perception of women throughout her career. Self-Portrait
as the Allegory of Painting, probably completed around 1639, was a bold
statement for the time. Gentileschi
makes herself the image of the art of painting; this was controversial because
she was a woman. She continued her techniques
of bold strokes and extreme contrasts between light and dark.
Sources:
Harris, Ann Sutherland. 17th Century Art and Architecture. London: Laurence Kind, 2008. Print.
Parker, Christine. The Life and Art of Artemisia Gentileschi. Created 1999, last updated 2011. Web.
Accessed 2 March 2014.
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