It’s an old story—men eat young girls and women. Today, as women come forward to expose sexual harassment, Artemisia Gentileschi stands as a perfect symbol. He is an officer of justice, as he was raped in 1610 when he was 17 years old. With an iron will, he endured a grueling trial for seven months, being physically tortured as part of it to corroborate his testimony. Her torturer, Agostino Tassi, also an artist, was convicted. His punishment was exile from Rome, which was never carried out, and he served less than a year in prison. Artemisia continued to create amazing paintings throughout her life, most of which depicted powerful women. She was the first woman to be admitted to the Accademia di Arte del Disegno in Florence, the school of distinguished artists at the Medici court of which Michelangelo was a member.
Artemisia was clearly influenced by contemporary Caravaggio—their shared use of chiaroscuro, painting on a dark surface rather than the traditional white, creates lighter tones. Unlike Caravaggio, however, Artemisia’s work focuses on the power and vulnerability of women, the subjugation of men and the transformation of violence. In Judith Cuts Holofernes (1620), a strong Judith cuts off the head of a drunken Assyrian general with two swift strokes, taken from the Apocrypha of Judith. Holofernes dared to besiege Judith’s city; Tassi dared to lay siege to Artemisia’s virginity. The painting is a graphic depiction of revenge. Unlike Caravaggio’s version of the same subject, the red blood here is fine in nature, jumping upwards and pooling together below. Artemisia’s Judith looks calmly determined, the end of a well-planned action, while Caravaggio’s Judith leans back as if frightened. Artemisia’s Judith also leans in—but only because blood is splashing on her golden dress. It is noteworthy that the bracelet worn by Judith is interspersed with many images of Artemisia herself.
Another amazing painting Madonna and childthey were painted when Artemisia was only 20 years old. The love between mother and child is clear, and the way the child approaches its mother’s face is especially touching. Artemisia gave birth to five children between 1613 and 1618—four sons and one daughter. Prudentia, named after her mother, is the only survivor of childhood.
A rare opportunity to see three of Artemisia’s paintings is now on view at the Columbus Museum of Art in Columbus, Ohio. To see these works in the museum’s deep-teal gallery, along with other paintings from the same period, is to see his mastery of rich color illusions, his dramatic and expressive compositions and his unique interpretation of mythological subjects. Like Caravaggio, he worked with live models, which enabled him to capture gestures, expressions and reactions during the performance. Lucretia (1627) reveals a mature artist, painted when Artemisia was only 34 years old. It depicts the public suicide of a Roman mistress: Lucretia was raped by Sextus Tarquinius, the son of a former Roman emperor, and his act of revenge sparked a revolution that replaced the monarchy with an elected republic. With glittering pearls and flowing fabric set against flesh and cheap hair, the painting shows Lucretia pleading to heaven, vulnerable and uncertain—a portrait of Artemisia herself, tormented by her innocence. He would rather die than be disgraced.
And the Columbus Museum exhibit is equally interesting Hercules and Omphale. The myth is usually considered satirical, with humor, but here Artemisia approaches it with a seriousness of character. Queen Omphale takes the Greek hero Hercules as her slave in revenge for his brother’s murder, forcing him to wear women’s clothes and turn fur. He doesn’t just seduce her, he seduces her, evidenced by her open gaze and a ecstatic Cupid sitting on her lap, while billowing clouds threaten beyond the door. Hercules is clearly lost. Omphale wins. The gallery also has an excellent touch screen station where visitors can scroll through 60 paintings of this legend by different artists over the centuries. Nothing is as strong, powerful or powerful as Artemisia.
Bathshebaowned by the museum, it shows another legend that is still active today. King David spies a beautiful woman bathing on the balcony above, plans to capture her. Bathsheba is married to Uriah the Hittite, so the king sends her to battle until she dies. Historically, the story has been interpreted as Bathsheba seducing the king, but Artemisia knew better. Taking a different perspective, he portrays Bathsheba’s beauty alongside her vulnerability and innocence—bathing on her balcony, surrounded by trusted female attendants, completely unaware of the king’s gaze above. Artemisia’s rendition of expressive hands and feet, on both her male and female figures, is stunning. He was a talented artist.
One would like to see an exhibition that pairs Artemisia and Caravaggio closely—his noble, strong women and his villains, shared deep reds and blacks, the play of shadow and light. Their paintings would speak to each other well. But the moral weight of Artemisia’s dramas reaches beyond Caravaggio. Her work is for the ages, fighting for women for 500 years. He was strong in his efforts to change things. Unfortunately, the struggle is far from over.
“Artemisia Gentileschi: Naples to Beirut” is at the Columbus Museum of Art through May 31, 2026.
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