Gentileschi, Sirani, and the Feminine Spirit of the Protestant Reformation
-
Loading... - Farida Jabrane
- 22 Sep 2022
- 73 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653) was born in Rome and died in Naples, by which time she was arguably considered one of the most significant Italian Baroque painters. At the age of seventeen, Gentileschi was sexually assaulted which some scholars suggest explains the dramatic nature and subject matter of her art.
Scholar of European art Judith Mann, however, does not agree and asserts that the reason for this theory is sexist since it implies that a woman could not be as successful as a male painter without tragedy as motivation. Mann argues that Gentileschi’s technique and reputation as one of the greats of the seventeenth century is due to her intellect, not by chance, tragedy, or luck. Although Gentileschi painted in a comparable style to the Italian Renaissance artist Caravaggio at the beginning of her career, Mann asserts that this does not mean their objective is similar.
As women’s lives were confined to the private sphere, biblical artwork of women became more consumed and celebrated within the home, since religion was a woman’s outlet to the public sphere. The prominence of artworks depicting the biblical figure Judith, among other icons like Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary, within the home strengthened the link between the public and political space, as well as the private domestic space. This allowed women to have a role model who transgressed the limitations of being confined to domesticity.
If women had control of their private lives and found inspiration in the strength and iconography of Judith as a transgressor of a private versus public divide, women would gain a stronger sense of identity.
Gentileschi’s paintings of biblical heroines and icons such as the Virgin Mary, Judith, and Mary Magdalene arguably serve as opposition to the patriarchal hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Although her works were also utilized by the Counter-Reformation, Gentileschi’s emphasis on the importance of women embracing their own spirituality is prominent in Conversion of the Magdalene (1620). Read More...
