Artemisia: A Prodigy of Talent, Despite Little Education - Essay Sample

Introduction

Artemisia became the sole female of the household, had to put schooling aside, and helps Orazio raise the younger boys. Growing up in her father's workshop, Artemisia developed a talent for the art and was much better at it than the younger boys. Although Artemisia didn't have much education, she did, however, have a talent for art and learned the skills at an early age and started producing quality work to sell. Artemisia was much inspired by Caravaggio, an artist friend of her father, and this perhaps inspired Artemisia to paint artwork like Susannah and the Elder's, painted in 1607. This was Artemisia's first signed artwork. The painting shows a Biblical example of a female and male conflict in which Savanah was being propositioned and threatened by two lustful older men. As Artemisia matured, she became more refined and developed a broader cultural knowledge. Artemisia's style of painting supported the Baroque idioms of drama and showed such emotion and expression. Artemisia was a feminist, a resister of male violence, and a female artist in a male's world and the first woman to paint the emotional strength of courageous and forbearing women. Other writers argued Artemisia's sexuality was at the core of the feminist images in her paintings. Female artists were few during this time, so why was Artemisia not recognized in the art world? After Artemisia's death, however, most of Artemisia's art was considered the work of her father, and art critics did not want to recognize Artemisia as a painter.

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Artemisia Gentileschi's Rape

During this time, rape was more of a crime against the family's honor than that of a woman who had been violated. Premarital sex was forbidden, unless there was a promise of marriage and any sex after that was understood as courtship and the man was to honor that commitment. Over several months Tassi continued his abuse and even told Artemisia that to retain respect, he would marry her. But this would never happen since Tassi was already married and at one time also tried to have his wife murdered, which he spent time in prison. Nine months after the rape, when Tassi's promise of marriage wasn't made good, Orazio petitioned Pope Paul V.

Artemisia Gentileschi's Rape Trial

Rape was of a legal concern only if the woman's virginity was sacrificed, and the honor of the woman and her family were at stake. The law during the seventeenth century viewed damages to economic and social assets and not to that of the suffering and psychological trauma of the woman who was raped; the law deemed her credibility as a suspect. However, during the trial, Artemisia described the rape in detail and represented herself as "physically overwhelmed, hurting, and struggling to resist." At the same time, her testimony speaks as "both authentically emotional and legally calculated," and this was planned to convince the judge. The experience of the trial challenged Artemisia's reputation rather than that of Tassi, her rapist. During the hearing, Artemisia explained how Tassi forced her onto the bed, put his knee between her thighs where she could not close them, lifted her skirt, placed one hand with a towel over the mouth and throat, the other handheld her arms down, after letting go of her arms he was able to put both of his knees between the legs and penetrated causing much burning and pain, and leaving her unable to scream for Tuzia because of the gag. Artemisia testified she fought back by scratching his face, pulling off his hair, and before he could penetrate her again, grabbed his penis, squeezing it so hard that flesh was removed. Afterward, Artemisia expressed the moment of revenge, how she attempted to stab Tassi with a knife in the chest so she could maintain the family's honor. During testimony, Tuzia sought to exonerate herself the best she could because it was an awkward moment for the companion. She told the court Tassi came over like he often did, and "the two of them went upstairs to the bedroom," Tuzia tried to make it look as if nothing extraordinary had happened because "many times" the two were alone in the bedroom together. Giovanni Battista Stiattesi was another primary witness and offered a different view of the rape and what happened afterward. Giovanni was a friend of Tassi and occasionally stayed in the Gentileschi's house, and he testified for the prosecution. Giovanni reported Tassi's womanizing and scheming and how he tried to hire assassins to get rid of his wife.

A question comes to mind as to why Orazio waited so long to report the rape? Some explanations are Orazio felt offended by Tassi not marrying his daughter or maybe Orazio had a motive behind the charges, or that Orazio was trying to save his reputation. However, Artemisia felt betrayed by her father, Tassi, and chaperon Tuzia, who left her during the rape and even lied upon being questioned at trial. The rape trial lasted several months, and Tassi, although found guilty, was to be banished from Rome, but his punishment was never enforced.

Artemisia suffered much humiliation during the trial and out of vengeance, thumbs still healing from the torture she endured, Artemisia painted Judith Beheading Holofernes, in 1618, which shows Judith decapitating Holofernes, whose face resembled Tassi and Artemisia painted herself as Judith, and this became her most famous painting. The painting is very bloody and physical as it shows Judith and her maid struggling to perform the act of beheading Holofernes, who seems to be fighting for his life. The colors are very muted, and his head becomes the gruesome brutal focus of the violence. The background is dark, creating an eerie feeling except for the light peering on the left edge of the bed, Holofernes, and the front of the women. Holofernes has his eyes open; hands are gripping, arms appear to be fighting off the women, there are blood-soaked white sheets and the resemblance of the sword sawing through his neck which radiates a dying expression of a vicious, murderous, and graphic struggle. According to Gage (2016), he described this painting by Artemisia as that of "atrocious fidelity." Although Tassi, on the other hand, did not have the same quality of artwork as Artemisia and not much of his work was ever found, some would infer his most famous role in the art history was that of being the victim of Judith's vengeful blade.