A famous painting by painter Artemisia Gentileschi, was found in a warehouse of the British Royal Collection from London. Today it is exhibited in the galleries of Windsor Castle, next to his famous “Self-portrait as an allegory of Painting”. Here's what his story is.

Artemisia Gentilischi, a great Italian painter

Artemisia Gentileschi was one great Roman artist of the seventeenth century, undisputed protagonist of Italian painting loved all over the world. Her is a private and public story that has fascinated the whole world: daughter of the artist orazio gentileschi. Thanks to his father's workshop, the artist therefore had the opportunity to meet and associate with artists, writers and artists, learn and make himself known.

Artemisia was the first female painter to be admitted to the prestigious Drawing Academy Florentine. Endowed with ingenuity and talent, she immediately stood out. She suffered violence from the master of perspective and collaborator of her father. She had to undergo a trial and leave Rome, endure slander and slander. From there she personalized her figures and environments, loading them with her pathos and developed her own pictorial style following the lesson of Caravaggio, .

Artemisia Gentileschi's painting "Susanna and the Elders" found in London
Artemisia Gentileschi's painting “Susanna and the Elders” found in London (1638-1639; oil on canvas; Royal Collection Trust)

The painting found

Artemisia's artistic production was vast and varied. Just in recent weeks you have been attributed a painting that had been inside the for some time British Royal Collection, deposit ofHampton Court Palace, London for a century. It's about “Susanna and the elders”, one of the subjects taken from the Bible, erroneously attributed to a French painter. It is thought that Artemisia's most famous painting that marked the beginning of her career had precisely the same theme.

After in-depth studies we have come to ascertain that the painting was created in London between 1638-39 when his father Orazio he found himself working at the court of Charles I. The painter followed her father and created numerous works by her during her London stay (about seven of hers).

The restoration

The work, forgotten for a long time, was found by chance and in very poor condition. It was necessary to carry out a restoration which lasted five years. The specialists of the Royal Collection Trust

It was also possible to carry out further investigation: the painting bears the signature of Charles I and was commissioned by Henrietta Maria of Bourbon-France, probably around 1638–9. Following political events it was moved from room to room until it was forgotten and put away for a long time.

The exposure

Time Susanna and the elders is exhibited in Windsor Castle, Berkshire, next to theSelf-portrait as an allegory of Painting of Artemisia herself and the paintingor Joseph and Putiphar's wife, created by his father Orazio, during their joint stay in London.

The rediscovered work gives us new, invaluable information on the art of this great Italian painter. A Casa Buonarroti the exhibition entitled “Artemisia in Michelangelo's museum" open until8 January 2024.

cover photo from wikipedia

A painting by Artemisia Gentileschi found in London last edit: 2023-10-07T08:00:00+02:00 da SABRINA PORTAL

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