Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi

3 units

The works of Orazio Gentileschi and his daughter Artemisia, two of the most fascinating painters of the early Baroque period, will be featured in a major exhibition at the St. Louis Art Museum. This course will spend the first month of the semester in the exhibition itself, closely examining the paintings on view. We will continue with recent scholarly inquiries about this rare case when an artist trained his daughter to be a professional painter. The topics of study will include the beginnings of their work together in Rome and the disparate paths that carried them throughout Europe. The career of Artemisia, including new information about her rape trial and interpretations about its effect on her art, plays a central role in the course.