Gentileschi - Delphi Complete Works of Artemisia Gentileschi

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593c. 1656) Contents Delphi Classics 2017 Version 1 Masters of Art Series Artemisia Gentileschi By Delphi Classics, 2017

Masters of Art - Artemisia Gentileschi First published in the United Kingdom in 2017 by Delphi Classics. Delphi Classics, 2017. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form other than that in which it is published. ISBN: 978 1 78656 504 4 Delphi Classics is an imprint of Delphi Publishing Ltd Hastings, East Sussex United Kingdom Contact: sales@delphiclassics.com www.delphiclassics.com Explore Baroque Art with Delphi Classics For the first time in digital publishing history, Delphi Classics is proud to present the complete works of these artists in eReading collections.

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Rome, Italy Gentileschis birthplace Rome in 1642 Self Portrait as the Allegory of Painting, 16389, Royal Collection THE HIGHLIGHTS In this section, a sample of Gentileschis most celebrated works is provided, with concise introductions, special detail reproductions and additional biographical images. Artemisia Gentileschi was born on 8 July 1593 in Rome in her parents home on Via Ripetta, near S. Giacomo degli Incurabili. She was the first born child of the artist Orazio Gentileschi, aged thirty, and Prudentia, aged eighteen. Orazio Gentileschi (15631639) had begun his career in Rome, painting in a Mannerist style, with much of his work consisting of figures painted in the decorative schemes of other artists. After 1600, he came under the influence of the more naturalistic style of Caravaggio.

Artemisia was baptised on 10 July at S. Lorenzo in Lucina. The Gentileschi family lived in the artists quarter between Piazza del Popolo and Piazza di Spagna, in Romes Campo Marzio Rione of Rome. Orazio and Prudentia had four sons after Artemisia, two of whom died in childhood. From 1597 to 1600, Artemisias family resided in the Piazza Santa Trinit, now known as The Spanish Steps. Artemisia would have been introduced to painting in her fathers workshop, demonstrating more talent than her brothers, who worked alongside her.

She learned drawing, how to mix colours and how to paint. Since her fathers style took inspiration from Caravaggio, her own technique was just as heavily influenced in turn. Her approach to subject matter was different from her fathers as her paintings tended towards naturalism, where Orazios were often idealised. From an early age, she gained respect and recognition for her work. During Artemisias childhood and adolescence, Rome was undergoing a dramatic transformation under the influence of Pope Sixtus V, with the creation of large architectural spaces and the building of many new churches. Also, there was a great increase in the number of major art works in palaces and churches, such as Carracis frescoes in the Farnese Gallery and Caravaggios paintings in S.

Luigi dei Francesi and S. Maria del Popolo. The following painting, Madonna and Child , is unsigned, but some scholars believe it is Gentileschis earliest extant painting, which is based on a Madonna completed by her father. However, others still dispute this attribution and have suggested Orazios version is in fact Artemisias earliest work. The image presents a tender scene of the mother and child; Marys eyes are closed in devotion, as she prepares to feed her infant. The sumptuous folds of the garments hint at the young artists early promise, as does the intimate portrayal of the relationship between the Christ Child and Mary.

The baby fondly reaches up, touching Marys right cheek, suggesting the bond between mother and child. The palette employed by Gentileschi offers a range of warm hues, only marginally counterbalanced by the cool blue tone of Marys cloak. Detail Detail Detail Detail The Lute Player by Orazio Gentileschi, Artemisias father

Gentileschis first major work, completed when she was only seventeen years old, was Susanna and the Elders (1610), held today in the Schnborn collection in Pommersfelden. Due to the precocious talent demonstrated in the striking painting, some later commentators have suggested that she was helped by her father. The image reveals how she assimilated the realism of Caravaggio, without being indifferent to the language of the Bologna school, which had Annibale Carracci among its major artists. It depicts the story of Susanna from the Book of Daniel, relating how a fair Hebrew wife named Susanna was falsely accused by lecherous voyeurs.

As she bathes in her garden, having sent her attendants away, two elders secretly observe her beautiful body. When she makes her way back to the house, they accost her, threatening to claim that she was meeting a young man in the garden unless she agrees to have sex with them. When Susanna refuses, she is arrested and about to be put to death for promiscuity, when a young man named Daniel interrupts the proceedings, shouting that the elders should be questioned, eventually leading to the triumph of virtue. Gentileschis interpretation of the story reveals a much more sympathetic viewpoint with regards to Susanna than many previous paintings by male artists. In Gentileschis canvas, Susanna cowers beneath the lecherous gaze of the two men, raising her arms and hands in repulsion, her face rendered in pain. Her pallid, pure skin tones contrast against the strong primary colours of the elders rich garments.

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