Artemisia Gentileschi in Venice: Facts and Suppositions

In the last twenty years our knowledge of the life and work of Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-ca. 1654), the most celebrated woman painter of the seventeenth century, has been considerably enhanced by new archival research and the discovery of new paintings. The Venetian period of the artist (about 1627-1630), however, remains one of the least known segments of her extraordinary career. The recent acquisition by the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles of a painting depicting Lucretia, the legendary Roman heroine, may help shed new light on Artemisia’s sojourn in Venice. This essay will explore evidence of Artemisia’s life, work, and reputation in the Serenissima, including her association with the renowned Accademia degli Incogniti.