They painted goddesses, muses, saints and sinners. He mastered the illumination; she heightened the passion. And while you engage yourself in the intense drama unfolding, you begin to wonder where the self ends and the canvases begin.
Such is the feeling you get when you walk into the gallery, where the canvases just leap out at you. Larger than life, father and daughter painters Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi display their brilliant artwork at the Saint Louis Art Museum.
Commissioned by aristocrats, collectors and kings in their time, the Gentileschi were prominent in 17th century Baroque Italy for the striking realism in their works.
Orazio’s works are simply beautiful. He had already achieved some success by the late 16th century, but the peak of his artistic career came after he met, and was influenced by, naturalist painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. From illogical distortions of the Mannerist style, Orazio began to paint in the realist style, brushing his canvases with amazing depth.
Though countless pieces beg to differ, his eye for detail is noticed early on in the exhibit, in the Stigmatization of St. Francis (1600-01). It depicts an angel supporting the saint after he received the wounds of Christ. The details are remarkable–from the tight rope around his waist and his frayed sleeves, right down to the almost unnoticeable nail hole in his sole.
Some of Orazio’s works, such as Madonna and Child (1609) and Saint Michael and the Devil (1607-08), suggest that he worked with models. That’s because the faces are not merely generic but expressive and distinct. He also worked with real props, such as angel’s wings, to capture every feathered detail.
Other notable works include the surreal Rest on the Flight to Egypt (1620-22), the striking Way to Calvary (1605-07) and the daring Lot and His Daughters (1621-22).
Perhaps one of Orazio’s best works is the Lute Player (1612-15). It’s a lyrical, sublime combination of the “hardness of wooden instruments and the velvety softness of fabrics.” This is a play of texture and shadow at its best.
Orazio trained Artemisia in the craft, but while father mastered light, daughter mastered form. Artemisia’s strength lies in the female body. Susanna and the Elders (1610), completed at age 17, is a dramatic piece about two men spying on a naked woman while she takes a bath. They coerce her for sexual favors. And because Artemisia isn’t bad at portraying drama too, you can tell Susanna’s utterly revolted by this.
Judith and Her Maidservant (1625-27), based on her father’s earlier work, portrays the two women cloaked in drapery and shadows after having slain Holofernes. Judith Slaying Holofernes (1612-13) complements this piece, which shows a graphic beheading of the Assyrian general. This bloody bit gathers some attention, at which point people exclaim, “That’s so gory!”
Other great pieces include Sleeping Venus (1625-30) and Artemisia’s brilliant self-portraits. But one painting that continues to attract everyone is Dana? (1612), which was once believed to be her father’s work. Dana? is a sensual narrative with lush velvet textures and sparkling gold showers. It depicts the mythological figure locked up in a chamber to prevent her from having a son, because he would be the one to kill her father, King Arcisus of Argos. Zeus then sneaks into the room in the form of a golden shower, impregnates her…and the rest is history.
Both father and daughter have several different versions of their paintings, showing their artistic development as well as Artemisia’s gradually modifying style. Nevertheless, they still manage to engage and dazzle. Though there are some secular paintings around, most of them are religious narratives.
This exhibit is a fine collection that paints every wrinkle, stubble and cheek blush in place. Though some may dislike the many dark, depressing themes here, you’ve got to give them credit for painting so well.
Father and daughter led separate lives and rarely met, but both artists flourished in their own ways. While Orazio managed to obtain renowned patrons such as Marie de Medici in Paris, Artemisia emerged to become the first most important female artist in history. She was able to secure her profession and live independently as an artist, a rarity in those times. Some say she had even surpassed her father’s prominence.
Artemisia’s life was less than perfect: she was raped by a fellow artist in her youth, endured a torturous trial, then eventually married and settled down. While some attribute her artistic power to her tumultuous life, they may just be good genes.
Saint Louis Museum of Art
June 14 – September 15, 2002
1 Fine Arts Drive
St. Louis, MO 63110
(314) 721-0072
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Admission: $10 for adults; $8 for seniors and students. Exhibition is free to everyone on Fridays.
