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1
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I'm in a city which, in its heyday,
was the most active
2
00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:08,840
cultural and commercial centre
in the Mediterranean.
3
00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:13,320
And one of the most volatile.
4
00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:15,440
LOUD PROTEST
5
00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:19,120
During the 17th century,
before the unification of Italy,
6
00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:21,720
Naples was part
of the Spanish empire.
7
00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:24,200
It was three times the size of Rome
8
00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,080
with a population that had tripled
over the century
9
00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,200
due to an influx of immigrants
looking for work.
10
00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:36,600
One of these immigrants was an
extraordinary painter who came here,
11
00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:40,520
like many others,
to chase lucrative commissions.
12
00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:45,760
This is the Museo di Capodimonte
in Naples.
13
00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,560
Originally built as a hunting lodge
for the Spanish nobility,
14
00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,440
it now houses one of the finest
art collections in Italy.
15
00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,360
'Nestling among these
official masterpieces
16
00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:04,080
'is a breathtaking painting not even
mentioned in the museum's highlights,
17
00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:06,560
'even though it was created by
someone quite exceptional
18
00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:08,280
'in the history of art.'
19
00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,760
This is one of the most arresting
paintings I've ever seen.
20
00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:16,800
It's a moment of traumatic violence
captured with almost forensic
21
00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,240
intensity in the detail here.
22
00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:23,400
What is happening is that a woman
is cutting a man's head off,
23
00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,240
and she's putting an enormous
amount of effort into it,
24
00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:29,240
and yet she's doing it with
a certain amount of disdain,
25
00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,880
as though she's just getting on
with a job she has to do.
26
00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,440
What is really frightening about it,
and it's appallingly strong,
27
00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:38,240
is that the man is still just alive.
28
00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:43,120
Despite the fact the sword is
stuck into his neck, his arm has
29
00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:47,120
shot up there, the fist is being
held by the accomplice of the woman.
30
00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:48,520
You can see his mouth,
31
00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:51,640
which is almost just
crying out his last breath.
32
00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:56,080
But she is quietly and efficiently
doing the business.
33
00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:59,200
What's so extraordinary about
this huge and violent painting
34
00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:01,960
is that it was painted by a woman.
35
00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:11,560
Her name was Artemisia Gentileschi.
36
00:02:15,640 --> 00:02:17,560
A brilliant and mercurial painter.
37
00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:20,240
A charismatic trickster.
38
00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:23,280
A gifted businesswoman.
39
00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:26,880
A caring mother
with a turbulent love life.
40
00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,520
And a modern woman
in a patriarchal world.
41
00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,480
She's been sidelined for centuries.
42
00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:38,640
Now she's emerging from the shadows
43
00:02:38,640 --> 00:02:41,760
as one of the most exciting
Baroque artists.
44
00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:45,760
Despite much of her work
being lost or missing,
45
00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:49,760
and many details of her
extraordinary story forgotten,
46
00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:53,800
there remain new and surprising
discoveries to be made.
47
00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:10,000
16th-century Rome, where Artemisia
was born over 400 years ago,
48
00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,160
was dominated by the Vatican,
49
00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,520
using art and architecture
to dazzle its citizens
50
00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:18,440
with the power of
the Catholic Church.
51
00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,160
The daughter of Orazio Gentileschi,
52
00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,960
one of Rome's many struggling
painters, Artemisia lived with
53
00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,800
her family in the notorious
artists' quarter of the city.
54
00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:38,560
Would this have been teeming
with people in Artemisia's day?
55
00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:40,240
Absolutely, absolutely.
56
00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:44,440
Even more so because this was
the northern door to Rome,
57
00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:47,000
because that was the place to be
at the time.
58
00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,240
There was such a demand, yes. Yes.
59
00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:53,960
'French novelist Alexandra Lapierre
fell under Artemisia's spell
60
00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,320
'when she came to Rome
on a research trip.
61
00:03:56,320 --> 00:04:00,760
'What she unearthed so intrigued her,
she moved here to find out more.'
62
00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:04,720
Another fine church, and there
are the Caravaggios in there.
63
00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:06,920
Yes, it's right there. Yeah.
64
00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:11,400
'Entries in the records of this
church, Santa Maria del Popolo,
65
00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,920
'suggest it was the local place
of worship for Orazio Gentileschi
66
00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:16,560
'and his wife, Prudentia.'
67
00:04:18,280 --> 00:04:22,880
What was the significance of
this church in Artemisia's life?
68
00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:25,080
Oh, it has a very big significance
69
00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:28,480
because it is where her mother
was buried
70
00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:30,880
when she was 12.
71
00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:33,000
How did her mother die? Childbirth.
72
00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,680
Many women died in childbirth
in the 17th century.
73
00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:40,080
And Orazio,
who loved his wife dearly,
74
00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,800
had ordered a true big service.
75
00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:49,720
He had made sure that his wife,
Prudentia, could get the best of it.
76
00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:54,160
So he ordered the burial
to be by the chapel
77
00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:59,800
that was the most visible at the
time, which was the Cerasi Chapel.
78
00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,360
There would be singing,
there would be candles.
79
00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:11,000
Candles were very precious.
80
00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:14,000
In the floor here you will see
rosace which have holes
81
00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:18,800
and you would have poles
that would open the whole floor,
82
00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:23,640
the marble floor of the church
and you would bring down the corpse.
83
00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:29,320
'Prudentia's sudden death would
change Artemisia's life for ever.
84
00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:34,480
'At the age of 12, she became
surrogate mother to her
85
00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:38,680
'three younger brothers as well as
assisting her father in his studio.
86
00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:46,880
'Orazio Gentileschi was a friend
and follower of Caravaggio whose
87
00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:50,880
'formidable paintings loomed over
his beloved wife's resting place.'
88
00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,040
The Caravaggios
which she would have seen,
89
00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:58,400
probably even during the funeral,
but every time she came here. Yes.
90
00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:00,640
I mean, they must have had
quite an effect on her,
91
00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:03,560
do you think, as an artist? Oh, yes.
They are very strong.
92
00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:08,520
Caravaggio's revolution has changed
the whole of Orazio's vision.
93
00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:11,400
Caravaggio is painting
people from the street...
94
00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:15,000
And that's a complete change, really.
Complete change.
95
00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:19,440
The idea is that the people
looking at it, at the painting,
96
00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:24,200
can recognise themselves in
the drama which is being played...
97
00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:29,240
That's the powerful thing.
Humanity is holding the whole frame.
98
00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:32,320
It must have been absolutely...
I can imagine for a young girl
99
00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:35,040
or young child looking up at that
and thinking, wow! Absolutely.
100
00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:38,240
But as a result it has changed
the whole vision
101
00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:40,440
of the art world at the time.
102
00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:44,080
That was really
a lot for her to absorb.
103
00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:48,520
And to find a way, because without
a woman to direct her, without
104
00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:53,920
a mother to direct her, she's
the only woman among a man's world.
105
00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:56,840
Let's go and have a closer look,
shall we?
106
00:06:56,840 --> 00:07:01,920
'Caravaggio and his followers
drew on Rome's dark underbelly
107
00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:04,000
'to inspire their
cutting-edge style.'
108
00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:10,360
By night, the city transformed itself
into a den of vice and crime
109
00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:15,600
which thrived in backstreet taverns
and behind closed palazzo doors.
110
00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,080
This...
111
00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,080
PEOPLE GASP
112
00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:22,720
..was the residence
of Beatrice Cenci.
113
00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:28,080
Inside this house, her wicked,
and horrible and terrible father,
114
00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:30,880
Francesco, abused her.
115
00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:37,160
So the legend goes,
nobody listened to her pleas
116
00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:39,840
when she was asking for help.
117
00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:43,800
But, please, follow me
and don't be afraid.
118
00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:47,080
You're going to be safe with me!
I hope...
119
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Please, come with me.
120
00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:53,680
'Artemisia grew up in
a patriarchal culture where women
121
00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:55,800
'were the property of men.
122
00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:58,720
'Seen as either virtuous or sinful,
123
00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:03,160
'loss of virginity outside marriage
could mean joining the swelling ranks
124
00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:07,440
'of prostitutes who haunted
Rome's dark alleyways.
125
00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,600
'Along with the restless ghosts
of its violent past.'
126
00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:16,760
Who was the wicked girl
who had killed her father?
127
00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:21,240
All the people of Rome
went in the streets in this area
128
00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:25,880
ready to go to the river
where her head would be...
129
00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:28,960
..chopped off!
130
00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,600
Terrific! Thought that would happen.
I thought that would happen.
131
00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:36,640
Please follow me to the river
to see the place. Ha-ha-ha!
132
00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:42,520
One of these ghosts
is that of poor Beatrice Cenci,
133
00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:46,440
whose execution the young Artemisia
almost certainly witnessed.
134
00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:50,880
Public decapitations,
brutal and bloody,
135
00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:54,600
would have been part of daily life
in Seicento Rome.
136
00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:01,960
Her head was cut off with a sword.
137
00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:05,760
And all the blood
went into the Tiber,
138
00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:08,440
dyeing it the colour red.
139
00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:10,280
DRUMBEATS
140
00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,320
Artemisia's father, Orazio,
141
00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:31,000
all too well aware of the dangers
for his only daughter,
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00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:34,920
confined her to his studio, where
she began to produce work of her own.
143
00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:43,000
Artemisia used the time
to develop her talent,
144
00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,600
but always under
her father's guiding hand.
145
00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:54,000
Some of their work is on display here
at the Spada Gallery in Rome.
146
00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:59,760
Here they are, side by side,
the two Gentileschis -
147
00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:02,800
Orazio the father,
Artemisia the daughter.
148
00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:05,920
It's just interesting to compare
and contrast the two.
149
00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:09,240
This a painting I love,
it's a beautiful delicate painting.
150
00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:11,920
This is by Artemisia,
Madonna and Child,
151
00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:14,680
and she was a teenager
when she painted this.
152
00:10:14,680 --> 00:10:18,440
Yet there's something about the
delicacy with which the baby's hand,
153
00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:21,360
which is beautifully drawn,
just touches the throat,
154
00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:23,360
extraordinary gentle gesture,
155
00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:26,160
and the eyes looking at
the closed eyes of the Madonna.
156
00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:30,240
On the other side,
a more classical picture by Orazio.
157
00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:32,400
It's David and Goliath.
158
00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:34,360
And it feels like
a much bigger picture,
159
00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:36,480
the figure's very strong in frame.
160
00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:40,080
You can see similarities, the flesh
tones, the angle of the body,
161
00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:43,680
you can see a strength in that
painting and perhaps a delicacy,
162
00:10:43,680 --> 00:10:46,160
but also a substance
in this one here.
163
00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:49,280
What you can also see, actually,
is to be able to paint
164
00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:52,880
and model drapery like that,
it's very, very impressive indeed.
165
00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:57,560
Her father, a much more well-known
painter at the time, a male,
166
00:10:57,560 --> 00:11:00,000
painting in the classical idiom.
167
00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:04,160
You can see down in the corner
there the head of Goliath
168
00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:07,400
being zonked by the stone
from the catapult.
169
00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,920
It's almost a sort
of Gentileschi trademark,
170
00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:13,320
the head somewhere in the painting.
171
00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:16,360
But altogether a big, strong
picture, and this picture,
172
00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:18,760
strong because of its delicacy.
173
00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:29,560
Both Artemisia's Madonna and this
other striking painting of hers
174
00:11:29,560 --> 00:11:31,920
in the collection have,
until recently,
175
00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:35,720
been wrongly attributed to
male artists, or to her father.
176
00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:48,560
The paintings of Artemisia's I've
seen today have been a revelation.
177
00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:51,400
Of course, the fact that such
accomplished work could be created
178
00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:55,480
by someone so young has inevitably
raised a few questions.
179
00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:59,000
Her father was a painter.
What was his work? What was her work?
180
00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:00,920
Where's the real Artemisia?
181
00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:06,360
It's like this wonderful piece
of visual trickery
182
00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:08,720
by Baroque architect
Francesco Borromini.
183
00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:13,480
This arcade is actually
only eight metres long.
184
00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:18,120
The statue is only 70cm high.
185
00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:23,640
It was indeed a world
of riddles and illusions.
186
00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:33,880
The Susanna is her first
really known work.
187
00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:36,680
It's signed with her name,
Artemisia Gentileschi, 1610.
188
00:12:36,680 --> 00:12:38,120
Lots of scholars have argued
189
00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:42,640
Orazio really painted it, he just
put his daughter's name on it
190
00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:45,920
to launch her career. And
I don't think that's really true.
191
00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:50,240
I think he may have helped her
with the finishing of the picture,
192
00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:54,480
the passages here and there,
because his style is very difficult
193
00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:56,720
to distinguish from hers
at that point.
194
00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,880
But the concept of that Susanna
is radically new.
195
00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:02,720
Most of the Susannas
of that period, all of them
196
00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:06,800
that I know by male artists,
were almost betrayals of the story.
197
00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:10,600
Susanna in the garden is bathing
and these elders thunder in
198
00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:13,600
and they're going to rape her,
have their way with her.
199
00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:17,200
In most of the pictures you see,
she's looking seductively at them.
200
00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,080
"Oh, you're coming to rape me?
OK, fine."
201
00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:23,480
But this is the first one
where she's saying, no. No.
202
00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:25,960
Her face is rather horrified
and shocked.
203
00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:28,880
This is the first time
anybody ever painted
204
00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:31,760
that subject from Susanna's
point of view.
205
00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:35,920
We never saw what women felt like
in that situation in art before.
206
00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:39,760
For me, that's a radical step
in art history.
207
00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:46,680
It was also a case
of art imitating life.
208
00:13:46,680 --> 00:13:49,960
Like Susanna,
Artemisia was being watched.
209
00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:58,400
One man with his eye on her was
Agostino Tassi, a widower in his 30s.
210
00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:01,440
He was a highly sought-after
painter specialising in
211
00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:04,920
trompe-l'oeil illusion, which was
all the rage at the time.
212
00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:11,080
This dusty track in the built-up
centre of Rome was once
213
00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:13,960
a shaded walkway through
the ancient gardens of Sallust,
214
00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:16,480
fabled for their beauty
and tranquillity.
215
00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:20,000
For the last 400 years, it's been
the site of the Villa Aurora.
216
00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:23,200
Caravaggio, Henry James,
Woody Allen and Madonna
217
00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:28,800
all came to the villa, in part
to see the work of Agostino Tassi.
218
00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:38,920
Ah! Greetings. Principessa.
How are you? How nice to meet you.
219
00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:41,680
What a thrill to meet you.
Please call me Rita.
220
00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:44,520
Rita, I'm interested in this man,
Agostino Tassi.
221
00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:47,640
You've got some of his work here.
We do. Can you show them to me?
222
00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:50,280
Because I'm really anxious to know
what this man was like.
223
00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:53,520
Which is Tassi's work here then?
The ceiling?
224
00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:57,280
On the ceiling, this is considered
Guercino's masterpiece.
225
00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:00,040
They mythical goddess Aurora
bringing dawn into the night.
226
00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:03,040
The prince of Troy is behind her.
The central part.
227
00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:06,080
That is a secco,
painted on dry paint.
228
00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:09,280
Now the frame, which is really
a spectacular part
229
00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:12,120
of the painting as well,
is by Agostino Tassi.
230
00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:14,080
And he really was an illusionist.
231
00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:17,720
As you can see, his part, the frame
has movement. It actually moves -
232
00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:21,200
as you move across the room,
the columns move with you
233
00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:23,720
and they straighten
and then they curve in.
234
00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:26,760
Is it supposed to be a continuation
of the house, the walls of the house?
235
00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:29,040
Of course it is. It is
a continuation of the house.
236
00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:31,520
And also there's something
very interesting here.
237
00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:34,360
You see how you see the breakthrough
in the ceiling? Oh, yes.
238
00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:36,560
This caused a hue
and an outcry in Rome
239
00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:38,360
and they wanted this
painted over. Why?
240
00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:41,080
The first time people were
walking into the room and they were
241
00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:44,240
hanging onto the sides of the walls,
and they said, we feel threatened,
242
00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:46,640
the sky feels like
it's coming down on us.
243
00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:49,360
It lifts you up,
and also it is slightly scary.
244
00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:51,680
It does, it is a little scary
even today.
245
00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:56,120
We have a fresco upstairs, La Fama.
OK. Can I see that? Yes, absolutely.
246
00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:58,840
OK, thank you. Please follow me.
If you're not too busy!
247
00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:00,280
SHE LAUGHS
248
00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:02,400
'Tassi may have been
a magician with oil,
249
00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:06,240
'but in his private life
he was a skilful trickster.
250
00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,080
'A known womaniser,
Tassi's drunken brag was
251
00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:15,720
'he arranged the murder of his first
wife as revenge for her infidelity.'
252
00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:17,920
We're in the process
of restoring the house,
253
00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:20,680
so if it looks a bit weathered...
254
00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:24,400
that's why.
But it's a labour of love.
255
00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:28,000
We feel a tremendous responsibility
to future generations.
256
00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,160
There's a lot of beautiful work here.
257
00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:34,000
This is, gosh, that's Tassi again.
That's La Fama.
258
00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:37,520
Again, Tassi framed
one of Guercino's...
259
00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:40,240
These curved barley-corn columns
are his work.
260
00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:42,320
Yes, these are
the Columns of Solomon.
261
00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:44,120
You'll see those at St Peter's.
262
00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:47,760
And then as you go around,
the gold is 24-carat gold,
263
00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:49,800
with which they paint.
264
00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:53,400
There is a different scene in
each one of these alcoves. Yeah.
265
00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:56,400
This is quite subtle work.
Beautiful work.
266
00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:58,640
And so modern for his time.
267
00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:01,840
He was really thinking
outside of the box, in a sense.
268
00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:05,480
And he was brilliant, and
his work was exquisite. Thank you.
269
00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:08,400
It's been absolutely eye-opening
to see his work.
270
00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:10,920
He was quite brilliant, I think.
He was bit of a...
271
00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:13,840
He was a naughty boy...
A naughty man. He was naughty.
272
00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:18,120
It just adds to the sort of levels
and the mystery of the story, really,
273
00:17:18,120 --> 00:17:21,480
that he could do such beautiful work
and be pretty brutish.
274
00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:23,280
Exactly.
275
00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:31,080
A rising star, Agostino Tassi
started painting for the Pope
276
00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:35,320
alongside his friend,
Artemisia's father, Orazio.
277
00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:39,360
He became almost one of the family.
278
00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:47,680
Careful to hide away his teenage
daughter from the corruption
279
00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:51,840
of the city, Orazio organised for her
private art lessons
280
00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:54,640
with his friend, Agostino Tassi.
281
00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:57,960
What happened next
is recorded forever in history,
282
00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:00,920
although the exact facts
are still hard to determine.
283
00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:04,520
Artemisia claims that
one spring afternoon in 1611,
284
00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:08,840
Tassi accosted her in her father's
studio, followed her upstairs,
285
00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:10,640
and despite her pleas
to be left alone,
286
00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:13,920
pushed her into the bedroom
and raped her.
287
00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:29,240
To calm the enraged Artemisia,
and in attempt to make good
288
00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:32,960
his violent act,
Tassi promptly promised to marry her.
289
00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,480
With her precious virginity
no longer intact,
290
00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:42,760
and determined to keep the rape
secret from her father,
291
00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:46,000
Artemisia had no choice
but to accept Tassi's offer.
292
00:18:49,120 --> 00:18:51,720
It is a total disaster
for the whole family.
293
00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:56,000
But nobody knows but Artemisia.
294
00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:59,040
And so when Tassi comes back...
295
00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:05,760
..and abuses her again, now there
is no other way than to obey.
296
00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:08,480
It's her man, in that sense.
297
00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:13,200
And so it's going to go on
like this for a few months
298
00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:16,480
where he says,
"It's OK, it's all right.
299
00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:18,800
"I am straightening things up."
300
00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:22,400
But then one day,
Orazio will find out.
301
00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:27,760
And what he will find out,
it's going to incense him
302
00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:30,080
and drive him crazy.
303
00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:34,920
So this is all really difficult for
everyone all round. I would think so.
304
00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:39,680
So, Orazio reacts
without really thinking,
305
00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:44,920
by taking his pledge to the Pope.
306
00:19:44,920 --> 00:19:51,000
So he writes to the Pope, not
about his daughter's feelings or...
307
00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:56,600
No, about the fact that his goods,
that is, Orazio's goods,
308
00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:00,040
has been destroyed,
has been ruined,
309
00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:05,040
and so he asks reparation of
something that has been done to him.
310
00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:10,080
She's never considered as
a human being.
311
00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:19,040
In 1612, Orazio,
to clear the family name,
312
00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:22,640
instigated legal proceedings
against Tassi.
313
00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:26,760
It would go down as one of Rome's
longest recorded rape trials.
314
00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:31,280
Here in Rome's state archive,
315
00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:34,600
a unique piece of evidence
has recently been restored.
316
00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:38,640
It's around 300 pages long
and it could be the closest
317
00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:43,160
I can get to finding out what really
happened between Artemisia and Tassi.
318
00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:49,040
Faithfully recorded by a court
notary, the transcripts include,
319
00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:51,200
in Artemisia's own words,
320
00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:54,160
a remarkably detailed description
of the rape.
321
00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:58,920
TRANSLATED:
322
00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:33,160
So, very, very, very detailed...
323
00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:35,560
Yeah. ..of a very violent rape.
324
00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:38,280
I couldn't understand it all,
but scratching the face
325
00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:39,720
and pulling the hair.
326
00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:43,000
Yes. And she described
the sexual relation here.
327
00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,040
Very violent.
328
00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:48,320
Very, very specifically written down.
Yeah.
329
00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:57,200
With Roman justice at the time,
there was no jury to decide.
330
00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:01,320
It was left to the judge,
who used Inquisitional techniques
331
00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:05,440
before proclaiming the final verdict
in the name of God.
332
00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:11,600
In the justice of the 17th century,
this is a rape.
333
00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:14,560
This is a rape because
there was not a marriage there.
334
00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:20,080
And there was a relationship,
sexual relationships,
335
00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:23,280
between a man
and a virgin woman.
336
00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:25,760
And this is a rape for the law.
337
00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:27,920
What was Tassi's response?
338
00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:31,120
Do you have that down there
in the trial? Yes.
339
00:22:31,120 --> 00:22:35,760
Tassi says, he knows Artemisia
340
00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:40,040
but he had never had
sexual relations with her.
341
00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:44,160
And many witnesses
could confirm that.
342
00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:46,960
This is a drawing by Tassi.
343
00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:50,160
"Io del mio mal ministro fui."
344
00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:54,280
I was guilty of my bad situation.
345
00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:58,720
Oh, well. Why did he do that?
To put in front of the judge.
346
00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:01,600
Sounds like an admission of guilt.
347
00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:05,600
Yes, but I think -
"I'm guilty, I'm a good man,
348
00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:07,840
"I think about my, erm..."
349
00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:11,880
"..About my violence.
350
00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:16,440
"Yes, I can, I can,
I can think about it."
351
00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:18,680
But I didn't do the rape.
352
00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:25,080
'To add to the complication,
we find elsewhere in the record
353
00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:29,080
'Artemisia's statement
that she slept with Tassi
354
00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:31,800
'for almost a year before the trial,
355
00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:34,520
'believing that they would
soon be married.'
356
00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:37,200
What's her attitude to him?
357
00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:41,120
She says that,
"I was with him willingly."
358
00:23:41,120 --> 00:23:45,280
In Italian she says
"amore volmente," with love.
359
00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:49,640
In Italian, the world "love"
is very important.
360
00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:52,040
Love is "I trust".
361
00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:56,440
"I want to be with you." Mm.
So it's very profound.
362
00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:01,880
And she used it
so we have to recognise it.
363
00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:08,320
It's hard for anyone today
364
00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:11,920
to understand Artemisia's
true feelings for Tassi.
365
00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:15,560
On the one hand, he was her abuser,
but on the other,
366
00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:18,680
marriage to him
would clear her name.
367
00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:25,720
Then sensational news
reaches the court.
368
00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:29,880
Despite Tassi's claims to the
contrary, his wife is still alive.
369
00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:33,160
With marriage no longer an option,
370
00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:37,440
Artemisia's "amore"
quickly turns to hate,
371
00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:39,600
perhaps reflected
in the powerful work
372
00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:41,440
that she was painting at the time.
373
00:24:44,360 --> 00:24:47,120
In one sense
it is a kind of response.
374
00:24:47,120 --> 00:24:50,920
That way of depicting the subject
so dramatically and graphically
375
00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:54,280
is kind of getting back
at Agostino Tassi in a public way.
376
00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:56,800
But this was a period
when that was just understood.
377
00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:59,240
Why shouldn't she get revenge?
She'd been wronged.
378
00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:01,840
That wasn't all there was
about that painting.
379
00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:03,400
She's the first woman,
380
00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:06,600
the first artist perhaps to have
expressed in art
381
00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:11,160
what it feels like
to be a woman victimised,
382
00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:15,960
and a woman who fantasises revenge
for that victimisation. Mm-hm.
383
00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:19,120
This is expression on a grand scale.
Yeah.
384
00:25:19,120 --> 00:25:22,560
So to try to make it
just about her one life...
385
00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:26,200
It's made up of her life in so many
ways, but it goes further than that.
386
00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:32,760
The trial had reached
its tenth month.
387
00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:35,360
With both sides still
proclaiming their innocence,
388
00:25:35,360 --> 00:25:38,600
the judge had one final method left
to obtain the truth.
389
00:25:40,360 --> 00:25:45,240
In this case, he decides that
Artemisia will be tortured.
390
00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:48,760
Yeah, he decides for the victim.
We don't know why.
391
00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:52,560
I have my own opinion about it,
392
00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:57,280
because Agostino Tassi was painting
for the Pope in that period
393
00:25:57,280 --> 00:26:00,400
and it was very dangerous
for the judge
394
00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:04,040
to destroy the hands
of a painter of the Pope.
395
00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:08,400
And the judge decided for her
the torture of the sibille.
396
00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:11,360
How does that work?
For her hands. Yes.
397
00:26:11,360 --> 00:26:14,160
And it was very dangerous
because she was a painter
398
00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:16,640
so it was dramatic.
399
00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:18,840
This is a piece of a rope.
400
00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:22,680
Oh, you have one there.
It's only light...
401
00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:26,240
So the hand goes out.
A light kind of sibille, this. OK.
402
00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:29,440
So it goes round each joint. Oops.
403
00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:32,160
This is very, very light. Thank you!
I appreciate that!
404
00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:34,320
MICHAEL LAUGHS
405
00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:34,320
Oh, right.
406
00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:37,560
All four together, over the joints.
And them...
407
00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:39,000
And then so. OK.
408
00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:42,880
I can see. It stops the blood,
but that's quite gentle.
409
00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:46,400
Was there...?
What was the severe...?
410
00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:50,200
What was the severe form?
Only for women.
411
00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:52,200
Only for women. OK.
412
00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:57,800
And there is a stronger way for
women, too, and the drawing is that.
413
00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:02,240
This is a drawing from the end
of the 16th century. Yeah.
414
00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:05,000
This is iron and this is wood.
415
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,560
So that's using, instead of rope,
that's iron and wood,
416
00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:10,400
which could really
break your fingers.
417
00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:13,760
Only for women, because for men
the torture was stronger.
418
00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:18,160
DRUMROLL AND TRUMPET SOUNDS
419
00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:21,520
By 17th-century standards,
420
00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:24,480
it was certainly preferable
to other common options
421
00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:26,800
such as piercing, crushing,
422
00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:29,840
amputation, starvation or hanging.
423
00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:37,640
So, finally, after all this evidence,
the torture,
424
00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:39,360
was there a conclusion?
425
00:27:39,360 --> 00:27:41,800
Yes, there was a conclusion.
426
00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:46,640
Because Artemisia under torture
said that she was raped,
427
00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:50,000
so that was the truth for the judge
428
00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:55,080
and the judge will decide in this
way, so Agostino Tassi is guilty.
429
00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:04,760
Against all odds,
the Gentileschi had won.
430
00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:10,840
But as the shocking news of
the trial outcome reverberated
431
00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:13,840
through the streets of Rome,
victory would be short-lived.
432
00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:19,360
Agostino Tassi's punishment
was mild -
433
00:28:19,360 --> 00:28:21,600
a five-year exile from Rome.
434
00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:23,720
A sentence he never served.
435
00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:28,240
Whilst for Artemisia, the supposed
victor, it was another story.
436
00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:31,120
She's dishonoured for ever.
437
00:28:31,120 --> 00:28:33,840
Everybody's laughing
when she walks in the street.
438
00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:37,160
She is the woman
that Agostino Tassi has had.
439
00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:40,360
She's completely finished
as far as reputation is concerned
440
00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:44,800
and the whole family Gentileschi
is stained forever.
441
00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:49,400
So, in a way, it's obviously
fantastic because it's proved
442
00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:54,400
she's saying the truth, but the
result is that she is a lost woman.
443
00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:56,720
So what was Artemisia to do then?
444
00:28:56,720 --> 00:29:00,160
No other choice - the convent,
or marriage.
445
00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:02,160
It was here.
446
00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:03,880
Let's have a look in.
447
00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:10,320
'Armed with a hefty dowry, and the
promise of her lucrative potential
448
00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:14,800
'as a painter, Orazio finally found
a buyer for his daughter.'
449
00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:16,680
CHOIR SINGS IN LATIN
450
00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:27,080
'On November 29th, 1612,
451
00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:30,200
'Artemisia was married here
in Santo Spirito
452
00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:33,880
'to a Florentine -
Pierantonio Stiattesi.'
453
00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:38,320
Tell me about her husband.
Did she know him? No.
454
00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:41,120
She had met him in the afternoon
for the first time.
455
00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:44,200
The man was coming from Florence
for the wedding.
456
00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:46,760
He was the younger brother
of the lawyer
457
00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:50,160
that had helped her father
in the case.
458
00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:52,400
But she has never seen him,
459
00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:56,120
and the luck, that he's young,
and rather handsome,
460
00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:59,760
and rather kind and not an old man
461
00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:02,680
who they pulled out
from God knows where.
462
00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:07,480
So she's rather surprised because
the man she's marrying seems OK.
463
00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:12,400
She's married here at night
with all the doors closed.
464
00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:15,880
The Gentileschi fear
that at any moment
465
00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:19,480
the friends of Agostino Tassi,
and Tassi himself, who knows,
466
00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:22,280
could come here and just
break the neck of Artemisia
467
00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:24,440
and also of her husband-to-be.
468
00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:27,080
So the wedding is completely secret.
469
00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:29,800
Do we know who married them?
A priest? A friend?
470
00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:32,160
No, it was the priest of the parish.
471
00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:36,440
He himself was very nervous because
it's completely against the law
472
00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:39,560
to close the door of a church
during a wedding.
473
00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:43,560
You have to have all the doors open
so anybody who would say
474
00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:46,280
the person is already married
could come in.
475
00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:49,560
So where in the church did
they get married? The altar or...?
476
00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:53,280
They did not get married in front
of the main altar but they got
477
00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:58,200
married in a very small chapel,
which is on the side, with no-one.
478
00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:00,440
Artemisia did not have
a woman with her.
479
00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:03,240
Usually, when you are the bride
you have people...
480
00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:05,200
A maidservant or somebody? Yes.
481
00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:09,120
No-one, just the future wife,
the future husband, the father
482
00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:10,440
and two witnesses.
483
00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:14,320
Strangely enough, at the beginning,
it would be a true couple.
484
00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:17,480
It would be an association,
a business association,
485
00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:22,000
because he takes care of dealing
with the contracts and everything,
486
00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,720
and she paints and begins painting.
487
00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:27,360
So here, her career really begins.
488
00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:30,360
# In questo prato adorno
489
00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:32,640
# Ogni selvaggio nume
490
00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:36,800
# Sovente ha per costume
491
00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:39,600
# Di far lieto soggiorno. #
492
00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:41,480
If Rome was Artemisia's undoing,
493
00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:44,280
then Florence was to be
the making of her.
494
00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:46,600
Assisted by letters
of introduction from her father,
495
00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:50,560
Artemisia arrived here in Florence
not long after her marriage.
496
00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:53,960
# Sovente ha per costume
497
00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:57,920
# Di far lieto soggiorno. #
498
00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:00,360
This was a second chance for her.
499
00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:04,320
An opportunity for her to shake off
the stigma of the rape trial and
500
00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:09,560
rise again as a professional painter,
but this time on her own terms.
501
00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:12,840
That is, so long as she stayed
out of trouble.
502
00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:17,400
# Qui Pan dio de' pastori
503
00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:19,680
# S'udi talor dolente
504
00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:23,400
# Rimembrar dolcemente
505
00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:26,200
# Suoi sventurati amori. #
506
00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:32,000
17th-century Florence
was a wealthy city of merchants
507
00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:35,000
and warlords dominated by the Medici,
508
00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:38,400
a dynasty of bankers
in the last throes of their reign.
509
00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:44,600
For the newly arrived Artemisia,
illiterate and with a chequered past,
510
00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:48,800
finding the crucial patron
she would need would not be easy.
511
00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:07,120
By Artemisia struck lucky. Her first
break came from none other than
512
00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:09,160
Michelangelo Buonarroti
The Younger,
513
00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:11,600
the great-nephew of Michelangelo.
514
00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:19,560
Artemisia, both as a woman artist
and an expert on the female nude,
515
00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:22,400
was to be the perfect choice
for his new project.
516
00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:27,600
Atermisia's panel was called
The Allegory of Inclination.
517
00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:30,520
That is to say,
the female personification
518
00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:34,200
of a particular quality
of the artist Michelangelo.
519
00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:37,680
And so, the inclination means
he was destined to be a great artist
520
00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:39,760
by virtue of his birth.
521
00:33:39,760 --> 00:33:43,160
Did she come to Florence with a
different attitude, having left Rome?
522
00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:45,600
Was this something new for her?
523
00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:48,400
You might say she thought
she had that inclination, you know.
524
00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:50,840
She too was someone
destined to be...
525
00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:53,800
She was fiercely ambitious,
fiercely ambitious.
526
00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:56,720
This is the most important thing
about her, I think.
527
00:33:56,720 --> 00:33:58,160
And not just to succeed,
528
00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:00,920
not to be somebody
who got great commissions
529
00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:02,840
and was known around Europe -
530
00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:06,600
that was true, but she really
wanted to be a great artist.
531
00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:10,360
She got the concept from looking
around her at this very place.
532
00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:13,120
I think the idea, almost,
was planted.
533
00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:16,640
If it hadn't planted already
it was planted for her in the way
534
00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:19,160
that Michelangelo was celebrated.
535
00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:21,920
I mean,
she really had that goal in mind.
536
00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:25,000
She wanted to be a great artist,
not just a great woman artist,
537
00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:26,640
a great artist... Yes.
538
00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:31,920
..compared to Michelangelo,
Caravaggio, Orazio certainly.
539
00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:34,280
HARPSICHORD PLAYS
540
00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:40,080
A canny strategist,
Artemisia began to educate herself
541
00:34:40,080 --> 00:34:42,160
in music and literature,
542
00:34:42,160 --> 00:34:43,720
using her beauty and charm
543
00:34:43,720 --> 00:34:47,200
to move through the elite circles
of Florentine society.
544
00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:52,000
But before she could achieve her
ultimate goal
545
00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:54,400
of accessing
the Medici court itself,
546
00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:57,320
she needed to produce work
on a grander scale.
547
00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:01,120
Nicola? Hello, Michael.
548
00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:03,120
Hello, very nice to meet you.
549
00:35:03,120 --> 00:35:07,040
Nicola McGregor runs a painting
workshop in the centre of Florence
550
00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:10,280
along similar lines to the one
Artemisia was assembling
551
00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:11,920
for her fledging business.
552
00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:17,200
Would she have had assistants
and a workshop to run?
553
00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:19,160
On the large paintings
and on frescoes,
554
00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:21,240
she'd have definitely
had assistants.
555
00:35:21,240 --> 00:35:23,840
Probably some that were very good
at doing flesh tones,
556
00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:26,160
some that were very good
at doing landscapes.
557
00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:29,040
The design, obviously, was hers,
the drawing was hers,
558
00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:30,800
the ideas were hers.
559
00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:32,880
She probably mapped it out.
560
00:35:32,880 --> 00:35:35,800
You know, the last say is obviously
by the artist.
561
00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:42,680
Although the vision
was ultimately Artemisia's,
562
00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:45,920
much of her work does not bear her
signature, which has led to
563
00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:51,160
heated debates among scholars about
what is and what is not by her hand.
564
00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:56,080
Most of her work was
commissioned specifically.
565
00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:58,840
They weren't painters that were
just sitting in their studio,
566
00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:01,960
painting, trying to find a buyer.
567
00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:05,600
They would've painted on commission.
568
00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:08,800
So it was obvious, if you commission
a painting from Artemisia,
569
00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:11,480
so there was no need to sign.
570
00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:17,040
Artemisia didn't just have a business
to run, she had a family too.
571
00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:23,320
Information recently discovered
by Dr Sheila Barker shows that she
572
00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:27,360
lived with her husband in this area,
close to Sant'Ambrogio church.
573
00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:32,000
It was during this time
their first two children died.
574
00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:35,120
The third child,
575
00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:38,160
who was baptised here,
is Cristofano,
576
00:36:38,160 --> 00:36:42,000
named after a painter
that she was friends with,
577
00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:44,080
and who was godfather of the child.
578
00:36:44,080 --> 00:36:48,080
So that's three children we know for
certain perished? Yeah. Wow.
579
00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:51,840
Was this in any way common
at that time?
580
00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:54,040
Or was it very unusual to have...?
581
00:36:55,080 --> 00:37:00,240
Lose three children? I would
say it's very bad statistics.
582
00:37:00,240 --> 00:37:04,960
To lose your first three children is
quite unusual, even in those times.
583
00:37:11,480 --> 00:37:15,800
While in Florence, Artemisia gave
birth to one surviving daughter,
584
00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:19,720
who she called Prudentia,
after her late mother.
585
00:37:22,760 --> 00:37:26,640
Although touched by loss,
Artemisia remained productive,
586
00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:30,240
making her way each day
across the city to her workshop.
587
00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:34,400
So I suppose it's not changed a lot,
Florence, has it?
588
00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:36,960
No, not in the essential ways, no!
Well, that's good.
589
00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:39,080
We're doing Artemisia's walk...
To work.
590
00:37:39,080 --> 00:37:42,400
..through Florence.
Her daily commute. Yeah.
591
00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:44,960
Would she be with anybody,
or walking on her own?
592
00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:47,680
She would have been very careful
to walk with a servant
593
00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:51,800
so that she would be seen as
a great lady. Ah, I see.
594
00:37:51,800 --> 00:37:54,760
So status was important?
Very important.
595
00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:56,760
And clothing would have been
very important
596
00:37:56,760 --> 00:38:00,040
as a way of announcing her status
as well.
597
00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:03,640
I can tell you from the purchases
she was making
598
00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:07,840
that it was perhaps her most
important business decision.
599
00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:10,600
So what kind of outfits
are we talking about here?
600
00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:13,480
Were these expensive dresses?
Extremely expensive.
601
00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:16,840
She was dressing at the level
of the ladies at court.
602
00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:19,720
And yet
she didn't pay for any of it.
603
00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:23,640
You walked into the stores and
took it all on credit. Fantastic!
604
00:38:23,640 --> 00:38:26,560
I call it creative financing. OK!
LAUGHS
605
00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:28,000
That's much more poetic.
606
00:38:37,480 --> 00:38:39,800
With her eye always on
the main chance,
607
00:38:39,800 --> 00:38:43,920
Artemisia made sure to pass through
this square in her finest outfits,
608
00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:48,960
hoping to attract the attention of
the wealthy residents of Santa Croce,
609
00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:51,280
with their contacts to
the Medici court.
610
00:38:52,520 --> 00:38:57,000
The piazza's filled with the palaces
of the wealthy silk merchants
611
00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:59,520
that she was contracting debts with.
612
00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:03,240
Artemisia sought out
these cavaliere,
613
00:39:03,240 --> 00:39:05,720
these knights of Florence.
614
00:39:05,720 --> 00:39:09,920
Because not only were they wealthy,
but, as knights, they would've been
615
00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:13,040
invited to all the court festivals,
and they would've had
616
00:39:13,040 --> 00:39:18,400
the opportunity to mention
this fantastically talented woman.
617
00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:24,080
They were happy to be able to broker
a relationship between her
618
00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:27,160
and the Grand Duke -
that made them important.
619
00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:32,080
So as she's dressing the part
of the heroine she paints,
620
00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:35,720
she becomes a kind of
walking heroine.
621
00:39:35,720 --> 00:39:39,080
And she allows for these
potential patrons
622
00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:43,120
to enter into this imaginary story.
623
00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:44,400
It was theatre.
624
00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:48,000
She has prearranged -
in this one particular case -
625
00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:52,800
to be in the home of a gold merchant
that she was friends with.
626
00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:57,200
And the two of them have plans
to be in a conversation
627
00:39:57,200 --> 00:40:00,360
just as a wealthy silk merchant
walks in the door.
628
00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:04,360
Artemisia says to her friend,
"Please, loan me this money,
629
00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:06,520
"I'm desperate for this money!"
630
00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:09,720
And he responds,
"I wish I could, but I can't.
631
00:40:09,720 --> 00:40:11,320
"I don't have the money."
632
00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:13,280
And who saves the day?
633
00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:16,160
The wealthy silk merchant
walking in the door
634
00:40:16,160 --> 00:40:20,520
sees a woman in distress,
and he offers to loan her the money.
635
00:40:20,520 --> 00:40:21,560
So she was an actress?
636
00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:23,760
She was a consummate actress,
it sounds like, too?
637
00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:26,280
She was a scriptwriter as well!
638
00:40:26,280 --> 00:40:31,120
So he loaned her the money, and of
course, she didn't pay it back,
639
00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:33,880
she gave him a painting in exchange.
640
00:40:33,880 --> 00:40:39,400
Music and art were
the vocabulary that was
641
00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:42,120
shared by all of these
refined gentleman.
642
00:40:42,120 --> 00:40:45,280
And Artemisia made a point
of learning that vocabulary.
643
00:40:55,880 --> 00:40:59,720
It would seem that Artemisia's
strategy paid off.
644
00:40:59,720 --> 00:41:01,280
Many of her works can be found
645
00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:04,600
amongst the priceless treasures
of the Pitti Palace.
646
00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:13,760
By painting
popular historical themes,
647
00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:17,080
Artemisia fully developed
a style of her own,
648
00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:21,640
whilst maintaining one of her most
loyal and influential patrons -
649
00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:24,200
Cosimo II de' Medici.
650
00:41:26,160 --> 00:41:29,320
What strikes me so powerfully
about this painting
651
00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:31,840
is the moment of drama it captures.
652
00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:34,920
And this is a very dramatic moment
in the story
653
00:41:34,920 --> 00:41:36,880
of the beheading of Holofernes.
654
00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:40,160
The deed has been done,
they're about to leave the tent,
655
00:41:40,160 --> 00:41:42,920
and something has made them stop.
656
00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:46,760
And the way Artemisia's captured
Judith's face there,
657
00:41:46,760 --> 00:41:51,240
you can see what she's done,
the slight flushing of the cheeks,
658
00:41:51,240 --> 00:41:55,200
the damp curls on the head,
you know what she's been through.
659
00:41:55,200 --> 00:41:58,600
Her mouth just slightly open,
waiting, listening,
660
00:41:58,600 --> 00:42:00,920
that someone might discover them.
661
00:42:00,920 --> 00:42:03,520
And you can see the servant there,
looking off to one side.
662
00:42:03,520 --> 00:42:05,320
But really Artemisia
has made Judith
663
00:42:05,320 --> 00:42:07,400
the centre of attention
in this painting.
664
00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:09,120
Even the way the light source
comes in,
665
00:42:09,120 --> 00:42:11,000
it comes on her neck and her breast
666
00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:14,320
and reminds us, this is a woman
who has done this deed.
667
00:42:14,320 --> 00:42:18,360
Not apologising for femininity,
celebrating it,
668
00:42:18,360 --> 00:42:20,280
but she's had to do this deed.
669
00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:22,440
And the great thing is that the head
of Holofernes
670
00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:23,880
is almost like an afterthought.
671
00:42:23,880 --> 00:42:26,000
There it is,
down the bottom of the painting,
672
00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:28,880
rather like they've just
got it from the supermarket.
673
00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:32,040
There's a certain sense
674
00:42:32,040 --> 00:42:34,240
in which every artist
is always in every work.
675
00:42:34,240 --> 00:42:37,640
It's something that's been
attributed to Cosimo de' Medici
676
00:42:37,640 --> 00:42:40,520
in the 15th century -
"Every artist paints himself."
677
00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:43,280
In a sense,
Artemisia's always painting herself.
678
00:42:43,280 --> 00:42:44,640
So she's in it.
679
00:42:44,640 --> 00:42:46,160
But "she's in the character"
680
00:42:46,160 --> 00:42:50,040
doesn't mean the character can be
reduced to that particular person.
681
00:42:50,040 --> 00:42:52,720
To me,
that's an important distinction.
682
00:42:52,720 --> 00:42:55,920
She helps to give that
character reality.
683
00:43:05,200 --> 00:43:08,280
Artemisia flourished in Florence.
684
00:43:08,280 --> 00:43:09,880
Most significantly,
685
00:43:09,880 --> 00:43:13,920
she created a series of complex
female protagonists.
686
00:43:18,200 --> 00:43:23,080
It seems to me Artemisia might have
used her own tragic experiences -
687
00:43:23,080 --> 00:43:28,120
the loss of her mother, her rape and
the premature death of her children -
688
00:43:28,120 --> 00:43:31,680
to breathe life
into the wronged women of history.
689
00:43:31,680 --> 00:43:34,720
The likes of Cleopatra.
690
00:43:34,720 --> 00:43:36,640
Lucrecia.
691
00:43:36,640 --> 00:43:38,360
Bathsheba.
692
00:43:38,360 --> 00:43:39,600
And Mary Magdalene.
693
00:43:41,880 --> 00:43:45,880
Magdalene, for example, the tainted
woman who became redeemed
694
00:43:45,880 --> 00:43:49,240
by virtue of her conversion
to follow Christ.
695
00:43:49,240 --> 00:43:52,360
So these characters have,
even when they're good,
696
00:43:52,360 --> 00:43:56,480
they have a dimension of complexity.
697
00:43:56,480 --> 00:44:00,120
That's not always captured in art,
it tends to be either-or.
698
00:44:00,120 --> 00:44:02,480
Artemisia gives them
that dimensionality,
699
00:44:02,480 --> 00:44:06,920
so there's a kind of deeper
psychology in her characters.
700
00:44:12,960 --> 00:44:16,760
She depicted their suffering,
captured their longing,
701
00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:19,440
and understood their tangled
moral dilemmas.
702
00:44:19,440 --> 00:44:23,120
Transforming them
from victims into survivors.
703
00:44:28,960 --> 00:44:33,200
Her time in the city had in fact been
a triumph, professionally.
704
00:44:33,200 --> 00:44:36,280
Culminating in the highest honour
an artist could receive -
705
00:44:36,280 --> 00:44:39,640
membership of the Academy
of Drawing and Arts.
706
00:44:39,640 --> 00:44:44,840
Artemisia was one of the first women
to receive such public recognition
707
00:44:44,840 --> 00:44:48,040
and proof of her inclination
as a great painter.
708
00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:56,360
Never one to stay
out of trouble for long,
709
00:44:56,360 --> 00:45:00,640
Artemisia's own reality was
becoming slightly complicated.
710
00:45:03,240 --> 00:45:08,920
By 1620, estranged from her husband
and behind with her commissions,
711
00:45:08,920 --> 00:45:13,520
Artemisia decided to leave Florence
in search of new adventures.
712
00:45:20,920 --> 00:45:22,600
The dramatic backdrop of Naples
713
00:45:22,600 --> 00:45:26,720
would become home to Artemisia
for the last act of her life.
714
00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:32,320
After a decade of travel
through the great cities of Europe
715
00:45:32,320 --> 00:45:34,360
as a feted lady artist,
716
00:45:34,360 --> 00:45:37,720
she finally made her base
in this Spanish-ruled city,
717
00:45:37,720 --> 00:45:40,680
with 450,000 inhabitants
718
00:45:40,680 --> 00:45:44,800
and 500 churches crammed inside
its old walls.
719
00:45:44,800 --> 00:45:48,960
Which of course meant wealthy patrons
and abundant church commissions.
720
00:45:51,080 --> 00:45:52,760
Artemisia's stay in Naples
721
00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:56,080
was in marked contrast to her time
in Rome and Florence.
722
00:45:56,080 --> 00:45:59,520
The narrow streets of the Spanish
quarter were full to bursting
723
00:45:59,520 --> 00:46:01,440
with a recent surge of immigrants.
724
00:46:01,440 --> 00:46:05,760
Within a year of her arrival here,
Mount Vesuvius erupted spectacularly,
725
00:46:05,760 --> 00:46:07,920
killing thousands along the coast.
726
00:46:07,920 --> 00:46:10,560
There were even rumours
that incoming artists were being
727
00:46:10,560 --> 00:46:14,560
poisoned by indigenous painters
for stealing their commissions.
728
00:46:19,520 --> 00:46:22,880
By now,
Artemisia was a seasoned survivor.
729
00:46:22,880 --> 00:46:25,560
Her clever stratagems
and business prowess
730
00:46:25,560 --> 00:46:29,000
meant she quickly
established new patrons here
731
00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:33,400
whilst being careful to keep up
her old contacts from a distance.
732
00:46:33,400 --> 00:46:35,960
And she's got some quite
impressive friends.
733
00:46:35,960 --> 00:46:41,720
Galileo was someone she wrote to
in 1635. Galileo Galilei.
734
00:46:41,720 --> 00:46:43,680
And she writes to him as a friend -
735
00:46:43,680 --> 00:46:47,800
"My most illustrious sir
and most respected master."
736
00:46:47,800 --> 00:46:50,360
And then proceeds onto
a bit of a whinge
737
00:46:50,360 --> 00:46:52,560
about someone who's not paid up:
738
00:46:52,560 --> 00:46:55,760
"From his most serene highness,
my natural prince..."
739
00:46:55,760 --> 00:47:00,160
Ferdinando II.
"..I've received no favour.
740
00:47:00,160 --> 00:47:02,840
"I assure your lordship
that I would value the smallest
741
00:47:02,840 --> 00:47:05,600
"of favours from him
more than the many I've received
742
00:47:05,600 --> 00:47:08,800
"from the King of France, the King
of Spain, the King of England -
743
00:47:08,800 --> 00:47:10,520
"and all the other princes
of Europe."
744
00:47:10,520 --> 00:47:12,480
So she's quite good
at dropping a few names.
745
00:47:12,480 --> 00:47:16,920
A letter here in 1636
to Andrea Cioli in Florence.
746
00:47:16,920 --> 00:47:21,960
He was attached to Cosimo Medici,
a secretary to the court there.
747
00:47:21,960 --> 00:47:26,400
In this, you really hear her
spirits dropping a bit.
748
00:47:26,400 --> 00:47:29,360
"I have no further desire to
stay in Naples.
749
00:47:29,360 --> 00:47:32,520
"Both because of the fighting" -
"tumulti di guerra" -
750
00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:36,200
"and because of the hard life
and the high cost of living.
751
00:47:36,200 --> 00:47:38,800
"Please be so kind as to reply to me,
752
00:47:38,800 --> 00:47:42,360
"since I have no other desire
in this life."
753
00:47:42,360 --> 00:47:45,600
Again, touch of the drama there,
touch of the drama queen.
754
00:47:45,600 --> 00:47:47,880
Always part of Artemisia's approach.
755
00:47:52,520 --> 00:47:53,880
Apart from these letters,
756
00:47:53,880 --> 00:47:57,720
there's very little information
about Artemisia's life in Naples.
757
00:48:00,360 --> 00:48:04,760
What we do know is that the only time
she did leave this turbulent city was
758
00:48:04,760 --> 00:48:09,440
for two years in London, where she
added Charles I to her contact book.
759
00:48:12,520 --> 00:48:15,480
And it was there
she buried her father Orazio,
760
00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:18,360
who had been working in England
as a court painter.
761
00:48:21,560 --> 00:48:25,160
The few pieces that've survived
from her Neapolitan period
762
00:48:25,160 --> 00:48:27,720
show a variable output,
763
00:48:27,720 --> 00:48:30,280
producing
an acknowledged masterpiece -
764
00:48:30,280 --> 00:48:34,200
an innovative self-portrait, now in
the British Royal Collection...
765
00:48:37,840 --> 00:48:41,000
..but also more commercial work,
with a softer edge.
766
00:48:42,200 --> 00:48:45,040
Did she see herself as a brand
in Naples?
767
00:48:45,040 --> 00:48:50,160
After 1630, the whole artistic
milieu in Italy changes.
768
00:48:50,160 --> 00:48:53,360
Caravaggio's revolution had been
the radical turning point
769
00:48:53,360 --> 00:48:57,360
of the Italian art, and probably of
the European art, in many respects.
770
00:48:57,360 --> 00:49:01,240
But it was a very
sort of short spark.
771
00:49:01,240 --> 00:49:06,520
And after that, the baroque came up
with new issues and new instances.
772
00:49:06,520 --> 00:49:11,760
And she changes her style, like
many other painters of her time.
773
00:49:11,760 --> 00:49:14,880
So she becomes also very Neapolitan
in some respects.
774
00:49:14,880 --> 00:49:18,280
She uses the palette and the colours
of the Neapolitan artists.
775
00:49:18,280 --> 00:49:22,800
She probably abandons the dark
lighting of the early works.
776
00:49:22,800 --> 00:49:26,960
On one hand, she was to collaborate
with prominent masters
777
00:49:26,960 --> 00:49:31,280
of the local artistic milieu
like Stanzione or Cavallino.
778
00:49:31,280 --> 00:49:32,360
On the other hand,
779
00:49:32,360 --> 00:49:36,480
she was to produce quite
a number of versions, executed
780
00:49:36,480 --> 00:49:39,960
at different degrees of quality,
781
00:49:39,960 --> 00:49:45,040
in order to satisfy cheaper orders,
cheaper commissions.
782
00:49:48,800 --> 00:49:52,840
We know Artemisia continued to paint
into her 60s,
783
00:49:52,840 --> 00:49:55,760
but how and when she died
is still a mystery.
784
00:50:01,320 --> 00:50:05,720
One theory is that she was claimed
by the great plague of 1656,
785
00:50:05,720 --> 00:50:08,280
which swept through Naples.
786
00:50:08,280 --> 00:50:10,200
But like much of her history,
787
00:50:10,200 --> 00:50:16,240
the details have been lost over the
centuries which separate her from us.
788
00:50:16,240 --> 00:50:20,200
But as another chapter opens
in the city of her greatest triumphs,
789
00:50:20,200 --> 00:50:24,640
Artemisia Gentileschi
could be coming a little closer.
790
00:50:33,160 --> 00:50:35,800
One of Artemisia's
large-scale commissions
791
00:50:35,800 --> 00:50:39,800
has been discovered in the attics
of the Pitti Palace in Florence.
792
00:50:43,680 --> 00:50:47,000
Part of a mission by modern-day
patron Jane Fortune
793
00:50:47,000 --> 00:50:49,560
to rescue neglected artworks
by women.
794
00:50:51,320 --> 00:50:54,040
There are 2,000 works of art
by women that we found
795
00:50:54,040 --> 00:50:57,520
that have been languishing there
for centuries.
796
00:50:57,520 --> 00:51:02,000
And the Artemisia Gentileschi
had been there for 363 years.
797
00:51:02,000 --> 00:51:06,240
It was in deplorable condition.
The humidity - there had once
798
00:51:06,240 --> 00:51:09,920
been a hole in the roof
and the rain had come down on it.
799
00:51:09,920 --> 00:51:13,800
So when we saw it,
most of the paint had come off.
800
00:51:13,800 --> 00:51:17,800
There were just chunks of pieces
where you didn't see anything.
801
00:51:17,800 --> 00:51:19,760
And there was a question as to
802
00:51:19,760 --> 00:51:22,360
whether they should
restore it or not,
803
00:51:22,360 --> 00:51:24,720
because it was
in such deplorable condition.
804
00:51:24,720 --> 00:51:27,200
But I said,
it's an Artemisia Gentileschi -
805
00:51:27,200 --> 00:51:32,480
she's one of the finest painters
in the world, man or woman.
806
00:51:32,480 --> 00:51:36,280
She's one of the best.
You cannot let this painting die.
807
00:51:36,280 --> 00:51:38,760
And that's what it was going to do,
just die.
808
00:51:41,240 --> 00:51:43,800
The onerous task of restoration
809
00:51:43,800 --> 00:51:47,880
fell to Nicola McGregor's
conservation workshop.
810
00:51:47,880 --> 00:51:49,800
It was a huge project
811
00:51:49,800 --> 00:51:52,560
because of the size of the painting
to begin with,
812
00:51:52,560 --> 00:51:55,080
and because of the amount of damage.
813
00:51:55,080 --> 00:51:57,560
And not only
the amount of missing areas,
814
00:51:57,560 --> 00:52:00,880
but also the parts of the colour
that were still there
815
00:52:00,880 --> 00:52:03,440
had obviously
been cleaned and recleaned.
816
00:52:03,440 --> 00:52:06,080
A lot of the final glazes
were no longer there,
817
00:52:06,080 --> 00:52:10,160
so it didn't have the rounded finish
818
00:52:10,160 --> 00:52:13,760
that most post-Caravaggesque
paintings have,
819
00:52:13,760 --> 00:52:15,680
and her other paintings.
820
00:52:15,680 --> 00:52:18,880
Can you describe what would be
the process of dealing with
821
00:52:18,880 --> 00:52:22,440
an Artemisia painting in a bad state?
822
00:52:22,440 --> 00:52:24,720
You have to decide whether
823
00:52:24,720 --> 00:52:28,800
the colour needs consolidating
immediately,
824
00:52:28,800 --> 00:52:31,720
so that you can touch it or move it.
825
00:52:31,720 --> 00:52:36,040
Or, very often it needs cleaning
first, a very gentle cleaning,
826
00:52:36,040 --> 00:52:39,600
because sometimes
there's a lot of old retouching
827
00:52:39,600 --> 00:52:41,960
that covers the original paint.
828
00:52:41,960 --> 00:52:45,280
And of course, one forgets that
a painting has a life of its own.
829
00:52:45,280 --> 00:52:47,640
Over the years
it's been repainted and touched up
830
00:52:47,640 --> 00:52:51,480
and changed in many different shapes
and forms. Yes.
831
00:52:51,480 --> 00:52:55,400
I mean, usually, most of
the paintings I've worked on,
832
00:52:55,400 --> 00:53:00,640
like the Artemisia, have had four
or five different filling layers,
833
00:53:00,640 --> 00:53:07,280
which meant that over the years
it had been restored repeatedly.
834
00:53:07,280 --> 00:53:11,040
They did restore it, but it's
very controversial how they did it
835
00:53:11,040 --> 00:53:14,520
because they didn't paint over, like
they normally do with paintings.
836
00:53:14,520 --> 00:53:18,040
What they did is they did
muted colours, blues and tans,
837
00:53:18,040 --> 00:53:22,480
and filled in the spots
that were missing the paint,
838
00:53:22,480 --> 00:53:26,400
and so what happens is, when you
stand away from the painting
839
00:53:26,400 --> 00:53:29,920
your eye makes it look like
the painting is full.
840
00:53:29,920 --> 00:53:31,840
When you come up to the painting,
841
00:53:31,840 --> 00:53:34,120
you can see where it's
been filled in.
842
00:53:34,120 --> 00:53:37,520
We couldn't repaint the eye.
We wanted to keep it consistent,
843
00:53:37,520 --> 00:53:42,840
so that what was left of Artemisia
would emerge.
844
00:53:42,840 --> 00:53:45,480
It's an amazing piece,
it's an amazing piece.
845
00:53:45,480 --> 00:53:48,920
And when they did it they could not
find David in the painting.
846
00:53:48,920 --> 00:53:50,720
And it was about a week or so
847
00:53:50,720 --> 00:53:53,280
before we were going to show
the painting to the public,
848
00:53:53,280 --> 00:53:55,800
and they were cleaning up
in this little corner,
849
00:53:55,800 --> 00:53:59,400
and here's David, this little teeny,
teeny picture of David,
850
00:53:59,400 --> 00:54:01,960
and everybody was
so excited we found David!
851
00:54:12,320 --> 00:54:16,880
This rediscovery is now
part of an ongoing quest to define
852
00:54:16,880 --> 00:54:20,280
Artemisia's output,
culminating tonight in
853
00:54:20,280 --> 00:54:23,280
an international conference of
academics, writers and fans
854
00:54:23,280 --> 00:54:28,920
from all over the world who
have come here to talk Artemisia.
855
00:54:28,920 --> 00:54:33,280
To me, Artemisia is so interesting
because she's like a chameleon.
856
00:54:33,280 --> 00:54:36,560
She's so often hidden
under all the names
857
00:54:36,560 --> 00:54:38,440
and other artists' names.
858
00:54:38,440 --> 00:54:40,680
And she comes, after scrutiny,
859
00:54:40,680 --> 00:54:45,760
she comes to be a very
unpredictable artist at times.
860
00:54:45,760 --> 00:54:47,680
That's why I like her.
861
00:54:47,680 --> 00:54:50,720
You have a feeling, this ridiculous
feeling, you know her in some way,
862
00:54:50,720 --> 00:54:53,600
or she's telling you something
and you have to respond in some way.
863
00:54:53,600 --> 00:54:56,560
It becomes a very personal art
for a lot of people. Exactly.
864
00:54:56,560 --> 00:54:58,040
Yes, I think so.
865
00:54:58,040 --> 00:55:01,080
I think people responded
very personally to her.
866
00:55:01,080 --> 00:55:02,480
They feel they know her.
867
00:55:02,480 --> 00:55:04,680
I think she speaks,
particularly for women,
868
00:55:04,680 --> 00:55:06,560
to some aspect of their lives.
869
00:55:06,560 --> 00:55:10,440
They want to champion her, and
as they do they champion themselves.
870
00:55:10,440 --> 00:55:11,960
I think there's a lot to that.
871
00:55:11,960 --> 00:55:15,560
Is this still a lot of information
to be gathered on Artemisia?
872
00:55:15,560 --> 00:55:17,160
Archives to be unlocked?
873
00:55:17,160 --> 00:55:20,320
It's still a mine to be explored.
874
00:55:20,320 --> 00:55:21,400
You know, we only have
875
00:55:21,400 --> 00:55:23,800
these individual slices of moments
in her life.
876
00:55:23,800 --> 00:55:28,480
Someday maybe we'll have a more wide
picture of the whole life.
877
00:55:28,480 --> 00:55:32,160
In her keynote speech,
world expert Mary Garrard
878
00:55:32,160 --> 00:55:36,480
highlights a disturbing new trend
in attribution.
879
00:55:36,480 --> 00:55:40,160
The Artemisia discourse has also
generated sharp disagreements
880
00:55:40,160 --> 00:55:43,440
over attributions among
scholars and curators -
881
00:55:43,440 --> 00:55:45,080
even between co-curators -
882
00:55:45,080 --> 00:55:48,640
with the result that Artemisia's
artistic identity
883
00:55:48,640 --> 00:55:50,840
is far from fixed or agreed upon.
884
00:55:50,840 --> 00:55:53,960
More and more works are turning
up in recent exhibitions
885
00:55:53,960 --> 00:55:57,240
and on the market
which are pretty questionable
886
00:55:57,240 --> 00:55:59,440
as attributions to Artemisia,
887
00:55:59,440 --> 00:56:01,480
and with the result that
we used to have
888
00:56:01,480 --> 00:56:03,400
a much clearer sense of the oeuvre.
889
00:56:03,400 --> 00:56:06,000
Now we're being asked to
accept things that
890
00:56:06,000 --> 00:56:10,040
either widen our understanding
of what she was capable of,
891
00:56:10,040 --> 00:56:12,840
or really we should just
raise our eyebrows and say,
892
00:56:12,840 --> 00:56:15,080
"That's not possible."
893
00:56:15,080 --> 00:56:17,920
Artemisia's name cannot be
a wastebasket into which
894
00:56:17,920 --> 00:56:21,120
we dump images of women
that do not remotely resemble
895
00:56:21,120 --> 00:56:24,200
those she painted,
or even each other.
896
00:56:24,200 --> 00:56:25,800
Realistically...
897
00:56:25,800 --> 00:56:27,640
With Artemisia Gentileschi paintings
898
00:56:27,640 --> 00:56:29,520
now selling for over
a million dollars,
899
00:56:29,520 --> 00:56:32,920
and with around half of what
she produced still missing,
900
00:56:32,920 --> 00:56:36,320
it's no wonder that
so many works of dubious quality
901
00:56:36,320 --> 00:56:40,000
and providence
are emerging from the woodwork.
902
00:56:40,000 --> 00:56:42,520
We can account for this tremendous
range of works
903
00:56:42,520 --> 00:56:43,880
that don't look much alike
904
00:56:43,880 --> 00:56:46,160
by the fact that
she was a kind of chameleon.
905
00:56:46,160 --> 00:56:48,480
She was out to please her patrons.
906
00:56:48,480 --> 00:56:50,960
But to say that she did that
all the time
907
00:56:50,960 --> 00:56:53,400
and that's why none of these things
look like each other
908
00:56:53,400 --> 00:56:56,920
is to take away all her artistic
identity completely,
909
00:56:56,920 --> 00:56:59,680
and say she didn't have any core.
She didn't have any sort of...
910
00:56:59,680 --> 00:57:01,520
And I don't think that's plausible
911
00:57:01,520 --> 00:57:03,520
on the basis of the works
that we know.
912
00:57:03,520 --> 00:57:06,320
She was too strong
and too determined
913
00:57:06,320 --> 00:57:10,320
and too coherent a personality,
an artist, for that to be the case.
914
00:57:12,120 --> 00:57:14,360
Not only was she a woman
in a man's world,
915
00:57:14,360 --> 00:57:17,800
handicapped by gender,
rather she was an artist
916
00:57:17,800 --> 00:57:23,240
with an edge, whose legacy
is ours to recover and preserve.
917
00:57:23,240 --> 00:57:24,440
Thank you.
918
00:57:24,440 --> 00:57:26,520
APPLAUSE
919
00:57:26,520 --> 00:57:29,680
My quest for Artemisia
is almost over.
920
00:57:29,680 --> 00:57:32,840
Let's hope that having finally found
a fuller picture of this
921
00:57:32,840 --> 00:57:36,680
unique artist, we're not
in danger of losing her again.
922
00:57:38,040 --> 00:57:41,560
Artemisia Gentileschi
was a force of nature.
923
00:57:41,560 --> 00:57:43,240
You can see it in her paintings,
924
00:57:43,240 --> 00:57:47,760
the best of which combine physical
energy and emotional engagement.
925
00:57:47,760 --> 00:57:51,560
You can also see it in the subjects
she chose, very often
926
00:57:51,560 --> 00:57:55,960
the wronged woman of history -
Susanna, Cleopatra, Lucrecia, Judith.
927
00:57:55,960 --> 00:57:57,960
And she didn't treat them as victims,
928
00:57:57,960 --> 00:58:00,480
but as people in control
of their own destiny.
929
00:58:00,480 --> 00:58:02,760
And you can see it in her own life.
930
00:58:02,760 --> 00:58:05,120
Artemisia was a survivor.
931
00:58:05,120 --> 00:58:06,520
She was a cool operator
932
00:58:06,520 --> 00:58:10,000
who never compromised her sexuality
or her femininity.
933
00:58:10,000 --> 00:58:11,800
In fact, she used them both
934
00:58:11,800 --> 00:58:15,240
to create a whole new way
of looking at woman in art.
935
00:58:19,280 --> 00:58:22,120
Very nice to see you. Excellent.
936
00:58:22,120 --> 00:58:23,920
Excellent.
126223
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