The kick-ass feminist painter in the 1600's

My children introduced me to Artemisia Gentileschi

On a recent breathless trip to the library, I filled a tote bag with handfuls of titles for the kids to get us through bedtimes. Once at home, we gathered around The Art Book for Children, a delicious encyclopedia-like tome that covers a wide range of art history.

The girls were so-so on Picasso and dismissive of Van Gogh. They favoured sculptural, multi-coloured work, like the light installations of Yayoi Kusama or the spectacular mirror installations of Iranian artist Monir Shroudy Farmanfarmaian.

But their favourite by far was a work by artist Artemisia Gentileschi titled Esther before Ahasuerus. They were so intrigued by the drama of the painting that they asked to see it again after we’d read the entire book, and they’ve asked to see it several times since.

The blurb says it’s from the story of Esther in the Bible (which I didn’t know—did you?). The blurb is scant on details - Esther is a Jewish Queen, but her husband’s chief minister threatens her people. She shows courage and risks death by approaching the King without being summoned. The painting shows her fainting in front of him.

She has just revealed her Jewishness to her husband. But her husband sides with her, killing his chief minister and decrees that the Jewish people have a right to defend themselves. This is the start of the festival of Purim, which honours themes of survival, joy and community.

It’s downright spooky that my kids should choose this painting. At ages seven and four, they are blissfully unaware of the fraught politics the painting now echoes. They are interested in its drama - the fainting most captures them. When I explain the story to them, they’re not satisfied - why would a woman be so worried as to faint in front of her husband?

More stunning is Artemisia Gentileschi, a 17th-century female artist. She was the first woman allowed into Floorence’s famed Academy of Design and had an entire professional career as a painter. Perhaps she was honouring Esther because she identified with another feminist.

I’ve gone down rabbit holes on Gentileschi and left my daughters far behind. She was trained in painting by her father but then raped by her tutor at the age of 17. There was a trial that lasted seven months. Her rapist was convicted but received a light punishment.

Her prolific portfolio included highlighting many famed women throughout history. This included her most famous work Judith Slaying Holofernes—a startling image of female revenge. Judith, a widow, kicks ass by sneaking into her enemy’s camp and beheading him at a banquet. It’s a Jewish victory, but it’s not too far-fetched to imagine it as an allegory of female rage. The women stand over the passive male, who is semi-nude and completely under their power.

Gentileschi’s self-portrait is presented as a Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting (La Pittura), a provocative meta-commentary on herself and professional women. Artemisia posits herself as ‘La Pittura’, a classical concept used to represent the creative act of painting. By convention, male artists couldn’t represented themselves as “La Pittura”, they could only paint allegorical figures. Gentileschi boldly shrugs this off and paints herself as subject and creator. She is a professional and legitimate, dammit, and wishes to be taken seriously. Importantly, for the time - she is alone and without the male gaze. She would’ve painted it around 1639.

I fear, in 2024, I have to make this achingly clear: I’m not reflecting on Gentileschi, or am particularly interested in her, or writing about her, because of some viewpoint I have on Israel. I am most interested in the study of history - and how any supposed ‘enlightenment’ we have in our modern age is completely subverted when we examine the bravery and wisdom of certain individuals in the past.

After her death, Gentileschi was largely forgotten. Her work found new prominence with some academics in the 20th century. But still, I’m stunned I haven’t heard of her, and I’m glad I’ve been enlightened.

---

Resonate or know more? Comment! For more musings on culture, check out this post .