“With me … you will find the spirit of Caesar in the soul of a woman.”
In a letter to her patron, Artemisia Gentileschi (1593–1654) wrote these words not simply as a reassurance of her talent but also as a petition to be paid her asking price. As one of the baroque era’s most compelling and influential artists after Caravaggio, her legacy has often been framed as that of a strong woman who masterfully painted the strong women of biblical history and mythology. Royals from Italy, Spain, and England commissioned scenes of Cleopatra, Bathsheba, Galatea, Judith, Esther, Susannah, and Mary Magdalene, eager to see these characters rendered through her interpretations.
