The Not So Gentle Gentileschi.

When I hear the name Artemisia Gentileschi my mind brings up images of brutal stabbings and the deepest angry feelings of rage and deception. Gentileschi's art is therapeutic. Maybe not so much in the eye of the viewer, until the viewer knows her struggle. I imagine her as being a strong woman for bearing a soap-opera sort of life. While studying her craft, a fellow artist who was working with her father (also a noted artist) brutally raped her. She continued to have affairs with him under his promise of marriage which never occurred and ended on the sourest of notes. Her paintings often depict bloody images of heroism and religious tales. These rare themes were not typical of any female artist of her time. The emotions of her past are dealt with through these images she masters. I have posted this picture of her depiction of "Judith Slaying Holfernes." The soft, unsurprised faces of Judith and her cohort are focused on getting a job well done. Holfernes struggles and we can see the life seep away from him as the women behead him. The gore and shocking forwardness of this picture is astounding. I admire female artists during the early periods, such as this one which belongs to the early Baroque. The influence of Caravaggio is seen with the rich deep colors and the dramatic staging of light. I like that she also chose a story from the bible which is not often depicted. She has made and independent name for herself and is branching out to find her own staple that represents her as an individual.