Women in Art History: Artemisia Gentileschi

Artemisia Gentileschi was among the most accomplished Italian Baroque painters during a time when women were rarely even acknowledged by the art community. Gentileschi became the first woman accepted into the Florence Academy of Fine Arts and remains well known for portraying Biblical and mythological women as strong protagonists instead of stereotyped objects. She even depicted herself as a working artist in Self Portrait as the Allegory of Painting (1638-39). Despite being a masterfully executed Baroque work, this self portrait was controversial as it was not generally acceptable for women to hold jobs, especially in the male-dominated field of painting. In addition to defying societal norms and sharing her remarkable talent, Gentileschi also survived an assault and even participated in the prosecution of her attacker at the risk of her reputation.

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