A New Acquisition: Artemisia Gentileschi Self-Portrait as St Catherine of Alexandria


Fascinating display at the National Gallery focusing on their new Artemisia Gentileschi self-portrait which they acquired in 2017 and is on show after extensive conservation work.  

I’m a great Artemisia fan so was delighted to see this work which I had already read about. This picture was painted in Florence in about 1615. Show shows herself as St Catherine leaning on the wheel on which she was tortured which may be a reference to the treatment Artemisia suffered as part of the rape trial against one of her father’s friends. She shows herself as a resilient woman looking out at the viewer.  I loved the detail on the shawl over her shoulder.

From March the picture will go on a pop-up tour of five unusual and unexpected venues, starting with Glasgow Women's Library on 6 March, in time for International Women's Day.


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