Artemisia Gentileschi was born in Rome in 1593. Artemisia was the talented daughter of a Tuscan painter, Orazio Gentileschi. She was the eldest and most talented of all his children. By the time she was 19, her father had considered her an extremely talented painter in her time. As an accomplished Italian Baroque painter, Artemisia was the first woman to become a Member of the Accademia di Arte del Disegno.
Artemisia often chose to paint pictures of women who were strong, yet pained. She chose her subjects from stories and myths from the Bible and other mythological and allegorical sources. Many of Artemisia’s works portray strong women, who oftentimes lack traditional feminine qualities. Her heroines are often time rebellious and antagonistic.
Her painting Susanna and the Elders, was taken from a biblical story in the Book of Daniel. In this particular painting, Artemisia focused more on the dramatic aspects of the story rather than female nude. Possibly in attempt to show strength and courage in the face of her tutor and rapist, Agostino Tassi. As an artist, her paintings were not what was expected of a female artist and portrayed women as strong protagonists and not weak objects of a man’s desire.
http://www.artemisia-gentileschi.com/susanna.html
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