Self-Portrait as a Female Martyr

This small oil on panel, dated around 1615, shows Artemisia Gentileschi dressed as a Christian martyr. Today the figure is generally accepted as a self-portrait: the rounded face and arched lips match those of other works the artist painted in these years, and an inscription on the reverse attributes the picture to her hand. What sets it apart from her other self-portraits is the yellow palm frond she holds, a traditional sign of martyrdom drawn from the Book of Revelation. Without it, the image would be an ordinary likeness. It is also unusual for a martyr to appear without the attribute that identifies a specific saint, which suggests the painting was meant as an image of the artist herself rather than as a devotional picture. The small panel size reinforces its intimate character, and the technique, with soft blending and a dark background, departs from her usual practice on canvas. It was painted in Florence during her stay there. Its meaning has long been debated and linked to her personal history, though more recent scholars tend to read it as a demonstration of her craft.

Painter

Artemisia Gentileschi

Date

1615

Medium

oil paint, panel

Dimensions

32 × 25 cm

Genre

self-portrait

Depicts

Artemisia Gentileschi, woman

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