Learning outcomes:
This course has been designed to enable you to:
- Become familiar with the work of Artemisia Gentileschi within its social and cultural contexts
- Hone your visual analysis skills when analysing Baroque artworks
- Gain awareness of the range of scholarship pertaining to the work of Artemisia Gentileschi
Course sessions:
1: Contextualising Artemisia
In order to fully understand Artemisia’s legacy, and the regard in which she was held during her own lifetime, it is essential to appreciate the 17th-century backdrop to her creative output. Frameworks for artistic practice in Italy will be highlighted in this session and key terms introduced, enabling students to position Artemisia’s work within the context of its time as well as subsequent scholarly debate.
2: Beginnings: from Rome to Florence
In this session, we begin a chronological exploration of Artemisia’s oeuvre. Although born and trained in Rome, Artemisia soon set up a studio in Florence, where she gained membership of the prestigious Academy of the Arts. We will discuss the impact of her early training in the studio of her father, Orazio Gentileschi, and assess her ability to navigate the demands of the competitive 17th-century art market.
3: An itinerant artist: Artemisia in Venice, Naples and London
Artemisia found success not only in her native Rome, and then Florence, but also in the other major Italian art centres of Venice and Naples. In addition, she had the opportunity to travel to England, where she worked alongside her father. We examine the transferability of her artistic practice, and what qualities in her work drew the attention of international patrons.
4: The mature artist: Artemisia’s late works
As well as introducing the later work of Artemisia, this session is an opportunity to examine how the artistic output of this major artist evolved during the 17th century. We will do so by comparing earlier examples of key subjects, such as Susannah and the Elders, with later versions of the same themes. We will also reflect upon how Artemisia chose to adapt her work to the taste of her audiences.
5: Reception history of Artemisia
In this final session, we will assess how Artemisia’s significant contribution to 17th-century art has been interpreted and re-interpreted by generations of art historians. We will also discuss how her life has acted as an inspiration for creative practice in other disciplines, such as literature and music, and why there has never been a better time to study the work of this important artist of the Italian Baroque.
Non-credit bearing
Please note that our Virtual Summer Festival of Learning courses are non-credit bearing.
Certificate of Participation
A certificate of participation will be sent to you electronically within a week of your Summer Festival course(s) finishing.
