Uncovering Artemisia: Turning Rage Into Fame

During the fifteenth through seventeenth centuries in Italy - more commonly known as the Italian Renaissance and early Baroque periods - masters like Titian, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Caravaggio made a name for themselves and secured legacies through the widespread popularity and study of their masterpieces. As time progressed, however, more artworks have been found, and more histories, especially by women Baroque artists, have been explored. With the rise of women’s rights movements and social justice campaigns from the mid-20th century on, stories of female artists and figures have further emerged from the woodwork and hold greater precedence in art history. The Italian Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi is one of these women who is seeing a resurgence of interest, in large part due to her vivid works and the themes behind the paintings. She lived an extraordinary life full of remarkable achievements, not only as a woman, but also as an artist in a time when competition in the field was so high. Her independence and defiance of traditional women’s livelihood paved the way for future feminists in the art world and beyond. Gentileschi’s spirit is best captured in the works that she produced throughout her life of women, both real and allegorical, whom she likely identified with. Some of the most pivotal works in her career coincide with major events in her life. They can be read in contexts that relate to the content of the work. Through an examination of Gentileschi’s choices of subjects, and how she presents them in the following works – Self Portrait as St. Catherine of Alexandria (1615-17), Self Portrait as a Lute Player (1615-18), and Self Portrait as the Allegory of Painting (1638) – this thesis explores her ability to construct an image of herself that was purposefully fluid and differing in social class or respect, allowing her to cast herself in different roles that can be presently described as feminist. These modifications in the idea of the artist herself can raise questions about the identity of the viewers, and create a dialogue about what it means to be who we are in the times and place we exist.