TWICE RAPED

HOW I WAS BORN

FEMINIST | BAROQUE PAINTER

At twelve, when Artemisia Gentileschi’s mother died, she became the head of household including three older brothers and an extended group of male artists who worked for her busy, preoccupied father, well known painter Orazio Gentileschi.

Recognizing her artistic talent and abilities, Orazio hired fellow famous painter, Agostino Tassi, to privately tutor Artemisia. A married man, Tassi raped her when she was sixteen. Artemisia’s father sued Tassi on the principle that Artemisia’s virginity was an asset that belonged to him and had been unjustly taken from him. A daughter without her virginity would require a much larger dowry if a husband could even be found.

Artemisia won the rape case in a time when women’s claims were rarely believed over those of their male counterparts. It was quite literally a painful victory. To prove she was telling the truth a Sibille was wrapped around her fingers in open court. It was designed to permanently maim her hands and force her to confess to lying about Tassi. Even as the device was slowly tightened she repeatedly screamed: “It’s true! It’s true! It’s true!”

Quick-witted and business-savvy, she transformed herself from a nearly illiterate young woman to one who could speak succinctly, entertain gracefully and mingle with the greatest art patrons of Europe.

In a man’s world, against all odds, she created a substantial body of work and after being left out of art history books, she is now indisputably known as one of the world’s greatest Baroque painters.