Caravaggio's Judith beheading Holofernes tells the story of the widow Judith and how she saved her people. After her military commanders failed to lift a siege by the Assyrian people, Judith beguiled the general Holofernes at a banquet. After the banquet, Judith stayed with Holofernes, feeding him alcohol until he passed out. Once he was incapacitated, she grabbed his hair and cut off his head. As gruesome as this seems, the story of Judith was a common subject for painters in the 16th century. You will find examples of this tale painted by Botticelli, Bigone and the artist I wish to discuss today - Artemisia Gentileschi.
Caravaggio, Judith beheading Holofernes, 1598-1599, oil on canvas. Galleria Nazionale d' Arte Antica.
In Caravaggio's painting, Judith seems to be shying away from the act with a look of distaste. Her brow is furrowed, and her shoulders lean in towards her maidservant. Judith's servant stands passively beside her, gripping a burlap sack, presumably to catch Holofernes' head before it drops to the ground.
Artemesia Gentileschi, Judith decapitando Holofernes, 1611-1612, oil on canvas, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.
By comparison, Artemisia Gentileschi's Judith is a powerful figure displaying brutal directness in her actions. Her arms are strong and muscular. She uses physical exertion to grab hold of Holofernes' hair. He appears to struggle through his drunken stupor, but Abra, Judith's maidservant, uses her body weight to pin him down. Looking into Holofernes' eyes, you can sense his shock as the sword cuts across his throat. Gentileschi's Judith is full of purpose and resolution. These women are not passive but resolute in their actions.
Gentileschi - the early years
Gentileschi was the eldest daughter of an artistic family. At the age of twelve, her mother passed away, and she was tasked with raising her three brothers. She grew up grinding pigments in her father Orazio's studio. Some scholars believe that at a time when Orazio was struggling himself to learn the principles of Caravaggio, Artemisia was learning in pace with him. He was her teacher, but he was a student himself.
Artemisia Gentileschi, Susanna and the Elders, oil on canvas, 1610, Schloss Weißenstein, Pommersfelden
At seventeen, encouraged by her father, she signed and dated her first large-scale painting, Susanna and the Elders (1610). In it, you see Susanna shying away from two men who have lecherously trespassed upon her bath. Susanna attempts to shield herself from these men just as they lean toward her, whispering in her ear, trying to snatch at her hair. Looking at the painting, the viewer is left feeling uncomfortable.
One interesting thing about Gentileschi's art is how she was able to take advantage of her gender. It was an era in which male artists could not readily access models to pose for their nudes. Leaving them to either study ancient nude statues or pay a prostitute to sit for them. It was also scandalous to put your wife's naked form on the walls of other men's houses.
Gentileschi had no such restrictions and could ask women to take off their clothes in front of her, allowing her audiences to enjoy her paintings without worrying that behind the painting was a situation of a male artist ogling a naked prostitute.
Gentileschi - the survivor
Gentileschi's paintings are often composed from the female point of view. If I were to speculate, I would suggest this is due to her status as a survivor of sexual assault. She is known for choosing stories in which women seek to avenge themselves whilst not portraying them as victims.
In 1611 while working in her father's studio, Gentileschi was raped by Agostino Tassi. Tassi was a friend of Orazio. And later claimed that he had been encouraged by Orazio to take an interest in Artemisia as Orazio was concerned about her character. Orazio felt that his family had been dishonoured and decided to take Tassi to court. The case lasted seven months, during which time Artemisia was subjected to a 'Sibille' (cords tied around her fingers and tightened). The Sibille was equivalent to a modern-day lie detector, inflicting tremendous pain on the young Artemisia and a terrible ordeal for an artist to endure. Eventually, Tassi was found guilty; however, due to the protection of the Pope, he was never punished.
After the rape, Gentileschi was married off and moved to Florence. In Florence, she achieved a status akin to an international celebrity and worked all around Italy, counting the Medici family and King Charles I among her patrons. There is some dispute as to whether or not she truly was the first woman in Florence to be accepted into the prestigious Accademia delle Arti del Disegno, but if not the first, certainly one of the very few.
Artemesia Gentileschi, Self-portrait of Artemisia Gentileschi as Saint Catherine,1615-1617, oil on canvas, National Gallery
Gentileschi - triumphant!
In 1615-1617 Gentileschi immortalised herself in Self-Portrait of Artemisia Gentileschi as Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The painting depicts Gentileschi as Saint Catherine, who in life was tortured with a wheel of metal spikes and liberated with divinity in death. In the painting, you can see Gentileschi with her right hand on the broken spike wheel and her left hand holding a palm frond. The palm frond was a traditional symbol of martyrdom. She has a saints halo above her head and is adorned in rich fabrics. Gentileschi looks directly at the viewer; her gaze is defiantly locked onto our own. Here she is presented as an indomitable force, a strong force to be reckoned with.
At a time when female artists were not readily accepted, Gentileschi challenged the conventions of art. She painted subjects that were traditionally the preserve of male artists. She was a firm believer in paying women fairly and an astute businesswoman. Her paintings transformed meek maidservants into courageous co-conspirators. Victims into survivors. It is no wonder then that Gentileschi was recently honoured as the first female to have a major show dedicated exclusively to her art at the London National Gallery.
You will find Caesar in the soul of a woman - Artemisia Gentileschi.
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