Artemisia

Artemisia Gentileschi and her art take stage at the National Gallery for the first large-scale exhibition of her work in the United Kingdom.

Made possible with the sponsorship of Intesa Sanpaolo, Artemisia brings together a selection of some 35 artworks highlighting the life, career and talent of the Baroque painter. Having suffered in her youth, in an age plagued by discrimination towards working women, Gentileschi nonetheless managed to emerge with great success.

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1654) studied in Rome, where she grew as an artist under her father Orazio’s guidance, but really established herself in Florence. She became a member of the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno, the first woman in history to join the Academy’s illustrious ranks. There followed a period in Naples and a brief sojourn in London, where she returns after almost 400 years thanks to this celebratory exhibition curated by Letizia Treves.

A meticulous selection of canvases tells us all about the artist, who often portrayed herself in works such as “Saint Catherine of Alexandria” (1615-1717), the first painting to become part of a public collection in the UK and recently acquired by the National Gallery, the inspiration for the exhibit.

The exhibition reveals Intesa Sanpaolo’s commitment to optimising Italy’s cultural heritage at home and abroad. The Group has also sponsored restoration work on Saint Januarius in the amphitheatre from Pozzuoli cathedral, painted by Artemisia between 1635 and 1637 and on special loan to the exhibition.
Alongside two more paintings from the cathedral, this work is part of a complex and important decorative cycle involving the major artists working in the capital at the time, without doubt the artist’s greatest legacy in the Kingdom of Naples.