Jenni's Page

I just found Artemisia incredibly compelling. Her life story fascinated me. I think she is amazingly talented, although like it says in her website that a lot of her work was attributed to other (male) artists. That she competed in a man's world almost 400 years ago fascinates me no end.

Yes, the painting is violent, but upon studying it, there is no blood, it looks to be taking place before the act, but is no less shocking for the brutality of the man being attacked reaching up with his fist as big as the woman's face to attack her in self-defense. For me it says volumes about the futility of a woman trying to compete against men. I can only imagine how truly alone she was during such a time in history.

Thanks for showing the Caravaggio version! My god, I was horrified to see how he portrayed Judith as a sexual object, complete with inflated, 21st-century-looking boobs! Next to Artemisia's women who are quite ordinary-looking and not at all youthful.

Thanks, Bill. I could go on and on about her, seriously.