From the Bookshelf of Reading with Style…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought
Artemisia Gentileschi was an Italian 17th Century painter who was taught by her Roman painter father, Orazio Gentileschi. Many of her works are in the style of Caravaggio who used chiaroscuro (a dark background with light shining on the main figures in the scene.) Artemisia painted strong, assertive women, often from Biblical stories, such as various versions of "Judith Slaying Holofernes."
Author Susan Vreeland opens the book at the trial of artist Agostino Tassi who was accused of raping Artemi ...more
Author Susan Vreeland opens the book at the trial of artist Agostino Tassi who was accused of raping Artemi ...more
A fiery and compelling fictionalized account of the life of painter Artemisia Gentileschi. I tend to find fictionalized accounts of real-life historical figures tedious, so I was pleasantly surprised by just how readable, thoughtful, and fast-paced this was. I think that was due to a) the immediacy, vulnerability, and clarity of the first-person voice and b) the choices Vreeland made as to where to start, end, and arc her story.
Vreeland begins her story with the day Artemisia is tortured during ...more
Vreeland begins her story with the day Artemisia is tortured during ...more
This was a really pleasant surprise! I picked this novel up at a used book sale, having mistaken it for something else, and so it's been sitting on my shelves for a couple of years because I didn't know anything about it. I didn't even know that the artist it was based on was an actual person. After reading this fictionalized account of her life though, I'm eager to learn more about Artemisia!
I loved the author's approach to her subject. She manages to keep the history and culture of 17th centu ...more
I loved the author's approach to her subject. She manages to keep the history and culture of 17th centu ...more
I really enjoyed reading this book. This author was new for me and I loved the story she told of Artemisia the first woman painter.
May 26, 2009
Potjy
marked it as to-find
Mar 01, 2010
Celeste
marked it as to-read
Aug 28, 2011
Anne
marked it as to-read
Oct 05, 2011
Debbie Hoffman
marked it as to-read
Dec 15, 2011
Elizabeth Stultz
marked it as to-read
May 21, 2012
Xiri
marked it as to-read
Oct 13, 2013
Dana Arbelaez
marked it as to-read
May 19, 2014
Lavender
marked it as to-read
Dec 28, 2014
Shana
marked it as to-read
Mar 24, 2015
Jayalalita devi dasi
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
main-branch,
historical-to-read
Jan 06, 2019
Kate
marked it as to-read
