Artwork of the Week: International Women's Day Style!
Hello again! I know it has been quite some time since I have created a new post... 2015 has been incredible so far, but also very busy as a result. Oh, and I also had to get my wisdom teeth extracted a couple weeks ago, which was no fun at all. In addition to the big changes with my job and the loss of teeth in my mouth, I have been actively writing for Obvi, We're the Ladies, which you may know by now, is a fantastic blog and community I am proud to be a part of. My most recent essays there are: Is it Really "Fifty Shades of F*cked Up"? (an essay where I explore my personal experience with the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise), Understanding a Strong Woman (where I wrote about my Grandma and what I learned about her after she passed), and also A Letter to My 30-year-old Self. I highly recommend writing those (shameless plug!) and the other great pieces that are posted every couple of days. Recently, our Instagram content lead posted an image she created to support the #askhermore movement during the Oscars and Reese Witherspoon actually regrammed the image! Big things are happening here, people :)
Aside from my other writing gig, I have been getting some ideas for new posts here, as I am definitely committed to writing more here as well. Just have to get into the groove of things, ya know. But! I am back with my favorite series: Artwork of the Week! And I am particularly excited about this one because today is also International Women's Day. Away we go... (oh, some of these images could be a little graphic)
Photos were not allowed in the gallery, so I went into the corridor and stole a selfie... I know, I know, a museum professional and I skirted around the rules. Anywho, studying this painting and then seeing it in person was really cool. As per usual, I am beyond excited when I finally get to see a painting or work in the flesh/canvas! This painting is huge by the way, which surprised me. It is about six and half feet by five and change feet. Let me tell ya, those blood spurts were jumping out of the frame.
Back to Artemisia. Not only was she known for her talent, but she was also 'famous' for her personal life. When she was younger, she was raped by her father's colleague and her tutor, Agostino Tassi. The long story includes a seven-month trial and plenty of paint for Artemisia. Though Tassi was found guilty and served a sentence of eight months in jail, of course Artemisia was gossiped about and forever linked to this humiliating event. This circles back to the painting, as Artemisia painted herself as Judith, and Tassi as Holofernes. The painting would not only serve as an important painting in her day and in art history, but also as a very cathartic personal journey.
After the trial and suffering, Artemisia's father arranged for her marriage as she tried to put the ordeal in her past. She found much success in Florence, where she earned support and patronage of the Medici duke, Cosimo II. She even became the first woman to be accepted into the Florentine Academy of Fine Arts. She continued her success, being held in esteem by the royal court, scholars, and even by the likes of Galileo. Her daughters even became painters as well - they traveled throughout Italy for work and opportunity. After Artemisia's death in 1656, her work did fall into a bit of obscurity, but luckily, in more recent academic findings, her work regained the acclaim it once held.
As for the famous painting (one of many, but arguably her most famous work), she is known for her retelling of common stories, but from the female perspective. However, she was not the only one to paint this particular biblical scene of Judith, it was also taken on by some of the most famous Old Masters and beyond (Titian, Rembrandt and Peter Paul Rubens... to name a few). Artemisia's work is often to compared to Caravaggio's, who is very well known for his influence to Baroque painting with his dramatic use of light, composition, and radical naturalism. She is known as the only female follower of Caravaggio. Here is his take on the graphic tale of Judith:
His version, painted around 1598, may look very similar to Artemisia's in terms of color or style, but if you look at them side by side, you can see just how different (and more violent!) Artemisia's is.
Caravaggio depicts a more effortless approach to beheading someone, while Artemisia's is messy and more lifelike (or so I'd think... never witnessed a beheading before...) - you can see the anger that she poured into the painting - which I really am drawn to. Also, you notice that the painting on the left does not have the background detail as the other does - she is not concerned with an ornate setting, she is focused on the act. The drama is much more palpable in Artemisia's rendering. This is just one example of her work and how profound it is.
In more recent artist responses to the influence of Artemisia Gentileschi, Feminist artist Judy Chicago invited her to The Dinner Party. No, really. The Dinner Party is an installation of a large triangular table, where 39 elaborate place settings await mythical and historical famous women, Artemisia of course being one of them (seen above). Each setting was influenced by the invitee, serving as the symbolic importance of each woman. Here is her place setting:
Artemisia's place setting looks a lot like the one for Judith (her depicted biblical figure, who has her own place setting at The Dinner Party). Judy Chicago carried over some of the same imagery between the two, since they are often linked in the art world. The colors and luxurious textures used at her place setting are much like the ones found in Artemisia's paintings - the gold even referred to as 'Artemisia Gold'. The references to Baroque patterns, chiaroscuro (a term for the dramatic use of light in Baroque paintings, found in Caravaggio's and Artemisia's works), and theatricality of the place setting perfectly represent Artemisia. The entire installation, now housed in the Brooklyn Museum, is considered to be the first epic Feminist work of art... and the fact that Artemisia is included shows her prowess and influence. Love it!
Aside from my other writing gig, I have been getting some ideas for new posts here, as I am definitely committed to writing more here as well. Just have to get into the groove of things, ya know. But! I am back with my favorite series: Artwork of the Week! And I am particularly excited about this one because today is also International Women's Day. Away we go... (oh, some of these images could be a little graphic)
***
Isn't this gruesomely awesome?? This is Judith Slaying Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi, an oil painting from around 1614. Not only is the subject matter a form of graphic girl power, but Gentileschi is perhaps the most important female artist in history (well at the very least, her generation). She was known for painting early Baroque pictures of strong and suffering women from myth and the Bible – victims, suicides, warriors. She did not simply paint conventional biblical images with female subjects, such as Virgin Mary submissively waiting for Annunciation. This image above is from a classic Old Testament story which details the delivery of Israel from the Assyrian general Holofernes. In the scene, Judith and her maidservant behead the general after he has fallen asleep drunk. Her realism and conveyed violence here lift off the canvas - it is incredible to me. I have actually seen it in person when it made its way to the Art Institute of Chicago in 2013. Excuse the stealth selfie I took:
Back to Artemisia. Not only was she known for her talent, but she was also 'famous' for her personal life. When she was younger, she was raped by her father's colleague and her tutor, Agostino Tassi. The long story includes a seven-month trial and plenty of paint for Artemisia. Though Tassi was found guilty and served a sentence of eight months in jail, of course Artemisia was gossiped about and forever linked to this humiliating event. This circles back to the painting, as Artemisia painted herself as Judith, and Tassi as Holofernes. The painting would not only serve as an important painting in her day and in art history, but also as a very cathartic personal journey.
After the trial and suffering, Artemisia's father arranged for her marriage as she tried to put the ordeal in her past. She found much success in Florence, where she earned support and patronage of the Medici duke, Cosimo II. She even became the first woman to be accepted into the Florentine Academy of Fine Arts. She continued her success, being held in esteem by the royal court, scholars, and even by the likes of Galileo. Her daughters even became painters as well - they traveled throughout Italy for work and opportunity. After Artemisia's death in 1656, her work did fall into a bit of obscurity, but luckily, in more recent academic findings, her work regained the acclaim it once held.
As for the famous painting (one of many, but arguably her most famous work), she is known for her retelling of common stories, but from the female perspective. However, she was not the only one to paint this particular biblical scene of Judith, it was also taken on by some of the most famous Old Masters and beyond (Titian, Rembrandt and Peter Paul Rubens... to name a few). Artemisia's work is often to compared to Caravaggio's, who is very well known for his influence to Baroque painting with his dramatic use of light, composition, and radical naturalism. She is known as the only female follower of Caravaggio. Here is his take on the graphic tale of Judith:
His version, painted around 1598, may look very similar to Artemisia's in terms of color or style, but if you look at them side by side, you can see just how different (and more violent!) Artemisia's is.
Caravaggio depicts a more effortless approach to beheading someone, while Artemisia's is messy and more lifelike (or so I'd think... never witnessed a beheading before...) - you can see the anger that she poured into the painting - which I really am drawn to. Also, you notice that the painting on the left does not have the background detail as the other does - she is not concerned with an ornate setting, she is focused on the act. The drama is much more palpable in Artemisia's rendering. This is just one example of her work and how profound it is.
In more recent artist responses to the influence of Artemisia Gentileschi, Feminist artist Judy Chicago invited her to The Dinner Party. No, really. The Dinner Party is an installation of a large triangular table, where 39 elaborate place settings await mythical and historical famous women, Artemisia of course being one of them (seen above). Each setting was influenced by the invitee, serving as the symbolic importance of each woman. Here is her place setting:
Artemisia's place setting looks a lot like the one for Judith (her depicted biblical figure, who has her own place setting at The Dinner Party). Judy Chicago carried over some of the same imagery between the two, since they are often linked in the art world. The colors and luxurious textures used at her place setting are much like the ones found in Artemisia's paintings - the gold even referred to as 'Artemisia Gold'. The references to Baroque patterns, chiaroscuro (a term for the dramatic use of light in Baroque paintings, found in Caravaggio's and Artemisia's works), and theatricality of the place setting perfectly represent Artemisia. The entire installation, now housed in the Brooklyn Museum, is considered to be the first epic Feminist work of art... and the fact that Artemisia is included shows her prowess and influence. Love it!
***
Whew! That was a long one. I always intend for these posts to be light and fun little art history snipits, but once I get started... it's hard to stop! I hope this was easy to follow - there is just so much to talk about with all of these subjects. I am glad I could share a female artist, an important one at that, on this International Women's Day. Thank you so much for reading!
