How did Artemisia Gentileschi become the first woman to be elected to Florence's Academy of Arts? And why did she end up in London working as court painter to Charles I? Join Alastair and James as they explore how Artemisia continued to forge her own path in the final decades of her remarkable life.
Artworks in this episode include:
Artemisia Gentileschi, Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria, c. 1616, National Gallery, London
Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Beheading Holofernes c. 1620, Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Orazio Gentileschi, Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes, 1624, Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford
Caravaggio, Judith Beheading Holofernes c. 1599, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome
Artemisia Gentileschi, Self-Portrait as an Allegory of Painting, c. 1638, The Royal Collection
To see images of the artworks in this episode go to heni.com/storiesofart or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks
Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram
Producer and Editor: Ben Harding
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac
Chapters
- 00:00:00 Introduction: The Spirit of Caesar in the Soul of a Woman
- 00:02:34 Judith Beheading Holofernes
- 00:09:25 The Revenge Debate: Art and Biography
- 00:14:38 The Love Letters: Francesco Maria Maringhi
- 00:21:14 Return to Rome and Marriage Breakdown
- 00:23:03 Venice and the Plague: Moving Through Italy
- 00:27:11 Naples and the Cabal
- 00:33:20 Journey to England: Painting for Charles I
- 00:35:07 The Self-Portrait: Artemisia or Prudentia?
- 00:39:00 Final Years in Naples and Legacy