Artemisia Undaunted
Introduction
In the 17th century, one of the most famous female painters was Artemisia Gentileschi. Besides, Artemisia is also one of the most celebrated painters of her generation, particularly after Caravaggio. As a historical figure with a large amount of influence on societies and the world in general, Artemisia is believed to be one of the most important women who helped influence women’s lives. Some of the most important artwork of Artemisia include ‘Madonna and Child,’ ‘Susanna and the Elders’ and ‘Judith Slaying Holofernes. This paper will be based on a 2011 film Donna Appassionata (Artemisia Undaunted), as one of the most important historic films related to the life of Artemisia Gentileschi. The focus will be on the film’s goal towards its views on understanding Artemisia Gentileschi and how it portrays Artemisia’s life and personality.
Artemisia’s Life Personality
Although Artemisia was regarded as a curiosity, her life and, most importantly, art presents her as one of the most expressive and progressive painters, particularly during her generation. This personality played a major role in her ability to portray different subjects related to the power of the women group. Artemisia was the first female artist who dedicated her work to standing up for the rights of women and, most importantly, paving the way for future feminist authors. Artemisia depicted violent scenes in her work, which featured strong and vigorous women, victims, and warriors. Artemisia never depicted women as sensual, delicate, or idealized figures. This personality played a critical role in empowering female protagonists, particularly those familiar with violence and bold and those often interpreted. The film also presents Artemisia as confident and with good self-confidence. She believes her art and influence would be effective in helping women to challenge some of the most common issues they faced during her time.
Based on this docudrama, Artemisia was mainly a feminist legend. Her success, particularly as a woman painter during her time and, most importantly, empowerment tendencies to women in her work, are emphasized more than the artistic quality. In some cases, an aesthetic value related to her paint works. Her work poise that oppressive societies and not necessarily lack of talent among women have been one of the major causes of women failing or having difficulties achieving the same level of recognition that men have received in both arts and other fields (Garrard et al.). Therefore, Artemisia’s works have played a major role in influencing current societies, most importantly the understanding of common issues that women face, specifically those that result from oppressive institutions and societies (Bal et al.,). The film, therefore, helps in understanding more about the specific role, influences, and most important role of Artemisia’s artwork in her society and, most importantly, how the work sort of addresses issues that women were facing.
Goals of the Film
One of the main goals of this docudrama was to explore Artemisia’s life and work as one of the most successful and celebrated artists, particularly in the Italian renaissance (Lamb). The film shows how Artemisia was an enigmatic figure, a mysteriously fascinating and, most importantly, legendary one. As a result, the film focuses mainly on the life of Artemisia to understand her more. It also tries to show how Artemisia was conditioned in her whole life, particularly as a victim of rape during her adolescent years. As a painter, the docudrama shows Artemisia being obsessed mainly by deep-rooted violence, which she mainly avenged on her canvases. Besides, it also tries to highlight if people are before a female artist with good talents, particularly in an era that males mainly dominated. Based on histories, the docudrama is therefore focused on discovering Artemisia, who over a short time, used her talent and willpower to rise and become a member of the roman and Florentine elite, as well as being a parent and, most importantly, the first female painter to make a living through this work and influence general views on women.
The films can also be related to the study of feminism, particularly by underlying their interests in Artemisia. For example, the film underlines Artemisia’s rape and subsequent mistreatment and, most importantly, the expressive strength related to her paintings of biblical heroines. Based on these paintings, Artemisia Gentileschi portrayed women as willing to manifest rebellion due to conditions they were facing during that time. In this regard, the film tries to show some of the struggles women were going through, particularly during Artemisia’s era. This case has been achieved specifically by how the film shows some of the challenges that Artemisia went through as a woman and, most importantly, specific strategies or measures she took to ensure effectiveness in improving women’s lives in society.
Similarly, the films also show that although women were considered powerless, they could even perform better than men. Artemisia was one of the best and most successful painters of her time. She also made a living through her painting, which was less unlikely, particularly during her times. As a result, this film shows how such struggles, sacrifices, and positive of women, particle Artemisia form an important foundation for improving their lives.
Influence of the Film
Unlike reading historical facts about Artemisia, this film plays a critical role in increasing factual recall when it matches with Artemisia’s historical reading and information. The film is based on facts related to Artemisia. As a result, it has a significant impact in shaping how viewers think about and see the past, which involves Artemisia’s history and her achievements. The films highlight some of the most important of Artemisia’s life experiences. It shows who these experiences, like rape, helps in shaping how she views society and, most importantly who they shaped her personality and general influence during her time.
Generally, visual representation of historical events plays a major role in helping people understand more about specific historical events. Reading historical facts about Artemisia may be difficult for some people to understand more about her life and work. However, the film uses motion pictures and audio to relate with Artemisia’s life, which is important in ensuring effectiveness in the ability of viewers to have a better understating of Artemisia’s life and general influence of her life on societies and, most importantly, lives of women, specifically during her time.
Historians believe history films are important are reliable records, particularly in discerning the lives of ordinary people. As a motion picture, this film plays a major role in providing the best evidence of the life of Artemisia. As a result, the docudrama plays a major role in the preservation of rhythms, gestures, gaits, human interactions, and most importantly, attitudes related to the life of Artemisia. The films specifically achieve this goal by making events of Artemisia’s life more vivid and, most importantly, portraying social attitudes related to her life and talent. Besides, the film also reveals the unconscious assumptions of a past society that Artemisia lived in during her time.
As a result, the films can be considered to be one of the most narrative forms of entertainment that targeted large audiences, particularly those that would like to know and have more knowledge on the life of Artemisia, her impacts on societies, and most importantly, roles of her painting works. The film also uses ambiguous scenes. These scenes play an important role in providing each material for studying and understanding more about the life of Artemisia. Therefore, viewers can relate evidence provided through the film with facts and information provided in writing and other historical sources to understand more about Artemisia and her life. Besides, the docudrama has also allowed room for multiple interpretations, particularly by involving compromises between divergent viewpoints.
Generally, this docudrama plays a critical role in highlighting some of the most important events in Artemisia Gentileschi’s life and, most importantly, the influence she had during her time and possible how these influences stills affect modern societies, particularly the lives of women. It also helps people understand and improve their current knowledge that they could have missed from reading about Artemisia Gentileschi’s history. Although it only takes a short time, the film highlights some of the most important events in Artemisia’s life, thus making it easier to understand her.
Works Cited
Bal, Mieke, and Artemisia Gentileschi, eds. The Artemisia files: Artemisia Gentileschi for feminists and other thinking people. University of Chicago Press, 2005.
Garrard, Mary D. Artemisia Gentileschi: The image of the female hero in Italian Baroque art. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1989.
Lamb, Marc. “Artemisia Undaunted”. Youtube.Com, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHVeyUbG1b8.
Leave a Reply