ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI: RENAISSANCE FEMINIST?
The most celebrated female painter of the 17th century, Artemisia Gentileschi’s art was internationally renowned and collected by notable patrons such as King Philip IV of Spain. Through her paintings, she highlighted the oppression and injustice women faced living in a patriarchal society, giving female figures the power and agency that had been ignored by other artists.
Gentileschi was born in Rome in 1593, the only daughter of Orazio Gentileschi, a painter, and Prudentia Montoni. Her mother died when she was just 12 years old and Gentileschi was sheltered by her father, who rarely allowed her to leave the house.
Orazio taught his daughter how to paint and she quickly showed more aptitude for it than her brothers. Her father’s painting style was influenced by the work of his associate and friend, the renowned artist Caravaggio, known for his dynamic use of chiaroscuro, the juxtaposition of light and dark.
