It was through this class and Dr. Shana Klein (Reisig) that I got to learn about an amazing woman: Artemisia Gentileschi (aar·tuh·mee·zhuh jen·tuh·leh·skee). I feel Artemisia is the perfect woman to highlight for Women’s History Month, as she is often considered the first feminist artist. Artemisia lived in a period when female painters were not often accepted or allowed into painting or design academies. Artemisia was first taught by her father, Orazio Gentileschi, who was an artist himself. Artemisia Gentileschi, Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria -1615-17Artemisia paints this portrait of herself as Saint Catherine of Alexandria around 1616, about four years after her trial.
