Read the essay, Who Was the Real Artemisia? and answer the following questions.

Landi describes Artemisia Gentileschi as “the darling of feminist art historians.”   Why has Gentileschi’s career and biography been the focus of so much recent interest?

What were some of Artemisia Gentileschi’s major artistic achievements?  Before the last century, what was her standing as an artist?

Why did Artemisia’s father press charges against Agostino Tassi?  If this man did rape Artemisia, why would the artist have wanted to marry him?  What happened to Artemisia during the trial and after?

For what reasons does Landi propose that Artemisia Gentileschi specialized in “strong female types” as subjects for her works?  Do you agree?  Why or why not?

Compare and contrast the self-portraits by Anguissola and Gentileschi above.  How do Anguissola and Gentileschi portray themselves?  What character attributes does each artist communicate about herself?  How are these portrayals reflective of the artistic climate each artist was working under?