Get to know her: Artemisia Gentileschi

by Sheila Barker

I have seen some of this artist’s paintings and was fascinated by them. Here was a woman painter at a time when the art world was dominated by men. Plus, I later learned about her complicated personal history. For these reasons, I was delighted to have the chance to see this book and to learn more about AG.

This title is published by Getty and they clearly know how to produce gorgeous books on art. This book is part of a series on female artists and is motivated, in part, by current social movements and the desire to give space to past pioneers. Each book, according to the introduction, looks at a female artist in terms of social, cultural, temporal and geographic contexts. Attention is also paid to the artist’s life story and the growth and evolution of their art.

The reproductions in these pages are plentiful and provide a good sense of the artist. I loved many of the Madonna and Child portraits which, to me, exhibited a contemporary (to her time) feeling and a sense of the warm relationship between the two.

Art lovers and those who want to enhance their knowledge base will enjoy this title. I definitely recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.