Artemisia Gentileschi: The Image of the Female Hero in Italian Baroque Art

by Mary D. Garrard

Artemisia Gentileschi, widely regarded as the most important woman artist before the modern period, was a major Italian Baroque painter of the seventeenth century and the only female follower of Caravaggio. This first full-length study of her life and work shows that her powerfully original treatments of mythic-heroic female subjects depart radically from traditional interpretations of the same themes.

Genres: Art, History, Nonfiction, Art History, Biography, Feminism, Italy

640 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Mary DuBose Garrard (born 1937) is an American art historian and emerita professor at American University. Best known for her groundbreaking feminist scholarship, Garrard has drawn on feminist theory and activism to illuminate and reinterpret art of the Italian Renaissance-Baroque period. Her publications include two books and other writings on Artemisia Gentileschi, work that pioneered modern scholarship on a major 17th century Italian artist; and her most recent book, Brunelleschi’s Egg: Nature, Art and Gender in Renaissance Italy (2010). With Norma Broude, she co-edited four books on feminism and art history that have become basic texts in American universities; and co-curated the recent exhibition Claiming Space: Some American Feminist Originators for the AU Museum, Katzen Arts Center. Garrard has lectured extensively on Renaissance art, feminist art, and feminist issues in universities, colleges and museums across the country. She was one of the leaders of the feminist movement in art professions, and was the second national President of Women's Caucus for Art.

Reviews

[E. G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

List of Illustrations
Preface

--Artemisia Gentileschi: The Image of the Female Hero in Italian Baroque Art

Appendix A: The Letters of Artemisia Gentileschi
Appendix B: Testimony of the Rape Trial of 1612

Notes
Works Cited
Index

[Bridget Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive, generous, but never fawning look at the life and oeuvre of one of the Baroque's overlooked greats. Don't let the movies and novels fool you, Artemisia Gentileschi has not received the scholarly, art historical attention of other Caravaggisti, even the minor ones. Garrard sets out to correct that error, with a beautifully balanced and thorough examination of the artist and her work. At the same time, Garrard doesn't claim - even with this 600-page text - to have the last word, but exhorts other scholars to take up the task of looking closely at the paintings of this powerful artist and digging deeper still. Finally, the appendix includes letters and transcripts from the notorious 1612 rape trial, in English. Invaluable, terrible and wonderful

[Eric Armusik · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authority on Artemisia. Very helpful book for my preparation during college while abroad in Italy when I did a presentation on her work at the Pitti Palace in front of Judith. Such an insightful look at her tragic early life and the prolific and respectable career that followed. Artemisia is looked upon by art historians as one of the greatest female painters in history. I feel this is incorrect. She is one of the greatest painters in art history. Compare her Judith and Holofernes from the Ufizzi Gallery next to one by Guido Reni and you'll easily see who is far superior. Mary Garrard is one of the first and the greatest resource for this amazing artist and this is the book you need to read.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.
So much to learn in a really well researched work.
An almost forgotten painter, with a powerful feminine/feminist message.

[rose]

dr garrard i owe u everything !! “Unlike the femmes fortes framed by moralizing verses and immobilized by their emblematic format, Artemisia’s Judiths are armed with swords that cut, weapons they do not hesitate to use”… changed my life fr !!

[Ayşe Zeliha · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Sanatçıların Yaşamları’serisinden müthiş bir ‘kadın sanatçı’nın varoluş hikayesi. 👍🦋

[Aria Ligi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more than a biography, it is a tome filled with art critiques, essays on the rise of the feminine voice, the letters of the artist, and the complete rape trial of the young Artemisia Gentileschi. it should also be mentioned that with regard to the trial she makes no shrill cries of innocence but lets the transcript speak for itself.
In addition to this, she gives you gorgeous color plates of her work, as well as, the works of others which pertain to women in art. This book is not to be missed for either those interested in women as artists, feminism, or art lovers & in particular, those women who are often not heralded from the Italian Renaissance. Please note her kind reference to the little known Christine de Pizan.
This is a tour de force of epic proportions not only in terms of size, it is a huge book, but in when considering the breadth of knowledge that is arrayed. Garrard is a masterful writer for she makes what some would consider banal, enlivened by her capable pen. BRAVO!

[BQuinnterest · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive, generous, but never fawning look at the life and oeuvre of one of the Baroque's overlooked greats. Don't let the movies and novels fool you, Artemisia Gentileschi has not received the scholarly, art historical attention of other Caravaggisti, even the minor ones. Garrard sets out to correct that error, with a beautifully balanced and thorough examination of the artist and her work. At the same time, Garrard doesn't claim - even with this 600-page text - to have the last word, but exhorts other scholars to take up the task of looking closely at the paintings of this powerful artist and digging deeper still. Finally, the appendix includes letters and transcripts from the notorious 1612 rape trial, in English. Invaluable and wonderful.

[Teddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only read about half of this book for research purposes, but it is incredibly thorough and interesting, while still being rather accessible to people not in academia. Would recommend, especially to people interesting in women in history and art.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich in details and dedication. Literally. The author dedicated this book "to its subject, Artemisia Gentileschi, artist prima inter pares, with admiration, gratitude, and affection."

For more details and dedication on this exceptional artist and woman, pair this tome with a translation of Anna Banti's short novel Artemisia.

[Katarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

HRV: Pročitano za nastavu na faksu i korišteno u seminarima.

ENG: Read for my college classes and used for seminars.

[georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh how i love you, artemisia

[Ruth Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I studied Baroque Art and bought this book to do a critical analysis of Artemisia's artwork. The subtitle on the title page of the 1989 edition of Garrard's book is The Image of the Female Hero in Italian Baroque Art. Garrard's explores this theme after a historical and biographical account of Artemisia's career. Beautiful reproductions of her art. Appendices include the testimony of the rape trial of 1612 and letters of Artemisia Gentileschi. I appreciated the amount of research presented in Garrard's book.

[Mills College Library]

759.5 G3384g 1989