Work In Progress 4: Artemisia Gentileschi's “Self Portrait as Saint Catherine”
Self Portrait as Saint Catherine by Artemisia Gentileschi
Out of all the art I’ve seen of Saint Catherine, the work that has most impacted me is Artemisia Gentileschi’s Self Portrait as Saint Catherine. Since AP Art History in my junior year of high school, I’ve been a dedicated fan of Artemisia, an Italian-Baroque painter among the most accomplished artists of the 17th Century. Gentileschi’s work can be characterized by refined skill, mastery of light and shadow, and impressive emotional expression. Because women were not allowed to participate in life model classes, Gentileschi often used her own form in her paintings, a choice made both out of necessity and empowerment. During her artistic career, her work was often overshadow by the trial and torture she endured for evidence against Agostini Tassi raping her. Four years after the trial she painted Self Portrait as Saint Catherine.
The painting features the traditional identifiers of Saint Catherine: the wooden wheel which was used in her attempted torture, a crown signifying her royal status. She is clothed in red to signify her martyrdom. A halo encircling her head and a palm frond represent her sainthood. It is said that the Roman Emperor tried to torture Saint Catherine on the wheel, but it shattered when she touched it.
In my interpretation, I can see why Artemisia would see herself in the noble Catherine. Both endured trial and torture and it makes sense Gentileschi would find comfort in the Saint’s overcoming her abuses. The use of Artemisia’s own form to craft this portrait is a choice rooted in personal empowerment. Many feminist artists were influenced by Gentileschi, such as Frida Kahlo and Cindy Sherman, and they were unafraid to feature themselves in their work as a form of liberation from continued objectification and subjugation.
Staying with this tradition, I have also decided to feature myself in this project as I craft my monologues and short films. I am looking to explore the dynamism of myself and feel empowered to center my own vision during the creative process. I look to Artemisia to center myself and draw from my predecessors to tell female stories.
-Madeline