Ladies With a Past
Providing the stories of forgotten women
Artemisia Gentilesi
Born 8th July 1593 Artemisia went onto defy convention, becoming a celebrated painter. Joining the family profession, Gentilesi is best known for her painting Susanna and the Elders.
During her career, Gentilesi was assaulted not unlike Susanna and at 19 took her abusers to court. The charges were brought by her father as she was unable to make an accusation, being a woman. After a seven month trial, her teacher Agastino Tassi was convicted due to conflicting statements given at the trial.
Gentilesi later painted the bible story changing the narrative of Susanna being complient to showcasing her as a victim. Later x-rays showed a more violent image of Susanna screaming and holding a knife, reflecting her own pain of her assault.
National Gallery Collection of Artemisia Gentilesi
