GETTY IMAGES/ALAMYThe art of ArtemisiaThe agony and the ecstasy
The paintings that won Artemisia widespread acclaimMary Magdalene in Ecstasy
c1620–25
This painting sold at auction in 2014 for €865,500,
testimony to the attraction of Artemisia’s work
today. It is a strikingly modern work, showing the
saint in 17th-century dress in an intimate moment
of religious transformation.discovered in 2011 when a collection of letters
came to light. Her husband apparently
tolerated the relationship, at least for a while.
This was not entirely unusual in the context
of marriages of convenience, especially in a
case like this where Maringhi’s patronage
was useful to the couple.
As Pierantonio pointed out in a letter to
Maringhi, appearances mattered: “If you
want to get ahead, you need to make a show
of good taste and demonstrate that you live in
comfort, because when people see that your
house is in order, it makes all the difference
and you enjoy much more credit.” And to
keep up appearances, he and Artemisia relied
on credit to obtain the luxurious fashions
that also featured in her paintings. So long as
they were doing well, they could keep up
repayments, but the loans became problemat-
ic when their marriage broke down.
With her affair having, once again, made
her the centre of public scandal, Artemisia
left Florence. Solely responsible now for the
debts that had once been shared with her
husband, and facing the confiscation of her
property, she moved back to Rome.
Artemisia spent the next decade first in
Rome and then in Venice. More than a
decade earlier, Rome had opened up its art
academy, the Accademia di San Luca, to
admit women, while Pope Urban VIII was an
important patron of creative women, among
them the artists Virginia da Vezzo and
Maddalena Corvini, and the architect
Plautilla Bricci. Artemisia herself did not join
the academy in Rome, perhaps because she
did not stay in the city for long before depart-
ing for Venice, but in Venice, too, she had
access to a cultural scene known for its
outspoken women. Among them was Ar-
cangela Tarabotti, who became famous for
her attack on the enclosure of unwilling
women in nunneries.
Besides the biblical subjects for which she
is best known, Artemisia also took inspira-
tion from classical sources. Although she had
not been fully literate at the time of the rape Self-Portrait as
a Lute Player
1615 –17Artemisia painted several
lute-players, including this
self-portrait. She may have
played the instrument
herself at the Florentine
court around the time she
was working on this
painting. Musical skills
were a valued attribute in
court circles.She wrote to Galileo
that she had been
“honoured by all the
kings and rulers of
Europe to whom I
have sent my work”
GETTY IMAGES/ALAMYThe art of Artemisia
The agony and the ecstasyThe paintings that won Artemisia widespread acclaimMaryMagdalene in Ecstasy
c1620–25
Thispaintingsoldat auctionin 2014for€865,500,
testimonyto theattractionof Artemisia’swork
today.It is a strikinglymodernwork,showingthe
saintin 17th-centurydressin an intimate moment
of religious transformation.discoveredin 2011 whena collectionofletters
cametolight.Herhusbandapparently
toleratedtherelationship,atleastfora while.
Thiswasnotentirelyunusualinthecontext
ofmarriagesofconvenience,especiallyina
caselikethiswhereMaringhi’s patronage
wasusefultothecouple.
AsPierantoniopointedoutina letterto
Maringhi,appearancesmattered:“Ifyou
wanttogetahead,youneedtomakea show
ofgoodtasteanddemonstratethatyoulivein
comfort,becausewhenpeopleseethatyour
houseis inorder,it makesallthedifference
andyouenjoymuchmorecredit.”Andto
keepupappearances,heandArtemisiarelied
oncredittoobtaintheluxuriousfashions
thatalsofeaturedinherpaintings.Solongas
theyweredoingwell,theycouldkeepup
repayments,buttheloansbecameproblemat-
ic whentheirmarriagebrokedown.
Withheraffairhaving,onceagain,made
herthecentreofpublicscandal,Artemisia
leftFlorence.Solelyresponsiblenowforthe
debtsthathadoncebeensharedwithher
husband,andfacingtheconfiscationof her
property,shemovedbacktoRome.
Artemisiaspentthenextdecadefirstin
RomeandtheninVenice.Morethana
decadeearlier,Romehadopenedupitsart
academy,theAccademiadiSanLuca,to
admitwomen,whilePopeUrbanVIIIwasan
importantpatronofcreativewomen,among
themtheartistsVirginiadaVezzoand
MaddalenaCorvini,andthearchitect
PlautillaBricci.Artemisiaherselfdidnotjoin
theacademyinRome,perhapsbecauseshe
didnotstayinthecityforlongbeforedepart-
ingforVenice,butinVenice,too,shehad
accesstoa culturalsceneknownforits
outspokenwomen.AmongthemwasAr-
cangelaTarabotti,whobecamefamousfor
herattackontheenclosure of unwilling
womeninnunneries.
Besidesthebiblicalsubjectsforwhichshe
is bestknown,Artemisiaalsotookinspira-
tionfromclassicalsources.Althoughshehad
not been fully literate at the time of the rape Self-Portraitas
a LutePlayer
1615 –17Artemisiapaintedseveral
lute-players,includingthis
self-portrait.Shemayhave
playedtheinstrument
herselfat theFlorentine
courtaroundthetimeshe
wasworkingonthis
painting.Musicalskills
were a valuedattributein
court circles.ShewrotetoGalileo
thatshehadbeen
“honouredby allthe
kingsandrulersof
EuropetowhomI
have sent my work”