How are you?
Currently, I am
introducing the stories about various artists and their paintings with the
title “Interesting
Art Stories”.
The 71st story is “Self-Portrait
as the Allegory of Painting” by Artemisia Gentileschi.
“Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting” is an oil-on-canvas
painting by the Italian Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi, believed to have
been painted during her stay in England between 1638 and 1639. It was in the
collection of Charles I of England and is now in the Royal Collection.
The painting depicts Gentileschi painting herself, who is in turn
represented as the "Allegory of Painting" illustrated by Cesare Ripa.
The painting shows a rare feminist theme from a time when women seldom held
jobs. It was a bold statement for the time that Gentileschi described herself
as the epitome of the arts, although today the painting is overshadowed by many
other Gentileschi's paintings, more dramatic and raw scenes that reflect her
painful younger years.
Gentileschi was born in Rome in 1593, when Baroque painting just began. Her father, Orazio Gentileschi, was a famous artist and Artemisia trained in his workshop for a number of years before creating her own paintings.
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| Portrait of Orazio Gentileschi, Lucas Emil Vorsterman after Sir Anthony van Dyck for “The Iconography” (c. 1630) |
In the
1610s, Artemisia was raped by Agostino Tassi, an older member of the workshop.
This event had a profound impact on the rest of her life and on her art world,
which often presents themes with a "Power of Women" such as “Judith
Slaying Holofernes” and “Salome with the Head of St. John the Baptist”.
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| Judith Slaying Holofernes, Artemisia Gentileschi (1620–1621) |
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| Salome with the Head of St. John the Baptist, Artemisia Gentileschi (c. 1610–1615) |
The composition of the painting uses diagonal lines to show off the
female figure and emphasize her movement both inside and outside the canvas.
The use of foreshortening and other three-dimensional techniques not only
demonstrate Gentileschi’s talent as an artist, but also draws viewers into the
painting on physical and emotional levels.
In the painting, the light is coming from the left, but the light
source is not visible, and the front of Gentileschi’s body is perfectly
illuminated, but her back is obscured. A chiaroscuro technique, often used in
the Baroque period, is used to separate light from the dark, adding a sense of
drama.
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| Sacred and Profane Love, Giovanni Baglione (1602–1603), showing dramatic compositional chiaroscuro |
Thank you.
