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| Artemisia Gentileschi |
She was introduced to painting in her father's workshop, showing much more talent than her brothers. She learned drawing, how to mix color and how to paint. Her style was heavily influenced by Caravaggio, since her father's style took inspiration from Caravaggio during that period.
The first work of the young 17-years old Artemisia was the 'Susanna and the Elders'. The picture shows how Artemisia assimilated the realism of Caravaggio without being indifferent to the language of the Bologna school.
In 1612, despite her early talent, Artemisia was denied access to the all-male professional academies for art. At the time, her father was working with Agostino Tassi, so he hired the Tuscan painter to tutor his daughter privately. The unfortunate effect was that Artemisia was raped by Tassi. Even though Tassi initially promised to marry Artemisia in order to restore her reputation, he later reneged on his promise and was reported to the authorities.