Baroque Female Artist: Artemisia Gentileschi Quiz

Answer: Orazio

Her mother's name was Prudentia Montone, she passed away when Artemisia was twelve. Artemisia was their eldest and only daughter.

Answer: Painter

Some of his noted works are 'Madonna' and 'Danae.' Orazio was born in Pisa and began his career in the Mannerist art style which favored emotion and distortion, rather than the serenity of the High Renaissance. Orazio adapted the Caravaggesque art style involving depictions of people and objects with the strong use of chiaroscuro, foreshortening, and dramatic posturing. Orazio's travels were significant in the dissemination of the Caravaggesque manner.

He taught Artemisia all the basics of painting.

Answer: Caravaggisti

Churrigueresque is a type of Spanish Rococo design, Crumhorn is a European instrument, Confraternities are religious associations of lay people.

Answer: Susanna and the Elders

'Susanna and the Elders' was based on a biblical myth. Rebecca Corbell and Samantha Guy's analysis of the work explains the myth as, 'Susanna was the wife of a wealthy Jewish man who lived in Babylon during the Exile. Susanna used to bathe in her garden, and one day two elder men of the community hid there and waited for her. Once Susanna was alone and naked, the two men revealed themselves and threatened her.

They said that if she did not give herself to them, they would declare that they had seen Susanna commit adultery with a young man.

This crime was punishable by death. Susanna resisted and she was tried in court and condemned to death. At the last moment Daniel, one of the prophets, came and cross examined the two elders, separately. He found their evidence to be contradictory and he thus proved Susanna's innocence.'

Answer: Seventeen

(Source: Garrard, Mary D. Artemisia Gentileschi. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1989) 'Susanna and the Elders' is a masterful work. Later on in her career, she was thought to have hired other painters to complete the backgrounds of her work. In this one you can see a nice example of her talent.

Answer: Yes

It was an Italian film called, 'Artemisia.' Feminist rights activist Gloria Steinem deeply opposed the movie upon its arrival in the US stating that they falsely depicted Artemisia's life and times.

Answer: Three

Judith, Holofernes, and the Maidservant. The Maidservant is pinning him down and Judith is wielding the sword. The maidservant is named, according to the myth of Judith, Arba.

Answer: In a letter

The letter was to Don Antonio Ruffo.

Answer: Medusa

In my opinion, the gorgon head represents the power a woman can wield, since Medusa could turn men into stone.

Answer: Agostino

Agostino Tassi was his full name. He was an associate of Orazio and was hired to teach Artemisia about perspective. His artistic specialty was landscapes and marine paintings.

Answer: 'injury and damage' (rape)

During the course of the trial, Artemisia said that Agostino had raped her during one of their lessons and then claimed that he would marry her. Agostino denied the charges and attempted to depict Artemisia as a woman with 'loose morals,' making terribly slanderous statements about her and her family's lives.

Answer: True

Art historian Mary Garrard says the test involved sharp pins on the top of a chair arm pressing into the palm and fingers of the subject's hand. A rope is slowly tightened around the hand pressing it into the pins on the chair.

Answer: False

She did win the case, though Tassi only served a short jail sentence.

Answer: Accademia del Disegno

According to the Market House Encyclopedia of the Renaissance, the Accademia del Disegn was the ' . . .first true art academy, founded in Florence in 1562, mainly at the instigation of Vasari. Its founder was Duke Cosimo I de' Medici, who was joint head of the new institution with Michelangelo.

It had an elected membership of thirty-six {artists;} amateurs were also admitted. It gained enormous international prestige and enhanced the status of artists vis a vis the other Florentine guilds.'

Answer: Italian

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