Full title | Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria |
---|---|
Artist | Artemisia Gentileschi |
Artist dates | 1593 - 1654 or later |
Date made | about 1615-17 |
Medium and support | Oil on canvas |
Dimensions | 71.4 × 69 cm |
Acquisition credit | Bought with the support of the American Friends of the National Gallery, the National Gallery Trust, Art Fund (through the legacy of Sir Denis Mahon), Lord and Lady Sassoon, Lady Getty, Hannah Rothschild CBE, Mrs Mollie W. Vickers, the Hon. Mrs Ashley Dawson-Damer, The Society of Dilettanti Charitable Trust Fund, Mr Andrew Green QC and Ms Hirschl, Mr Matthew Santos and Mrs Mary Kuusisto, Mr Peter Scott CBE QC and Dr Richard Ballantine, the Diane Apostolos-Cappadona Trust, Mr Stephen Allcock, Mr James and Lady Emma Barnard, Miss Maxine White and Mr James Mortimer, Michael and Felicia Crystal, The W T J Griffin Charitable Settlement and other donors including those who wish to remain anonymous, 2018 |
Inventory number | NG6671 |
Location | Room 32 |
Art route(s) | B |
Collection | Main Collection |
Artemisia Gentileschi, the most celebrated female artist of the seventeenth century, appears in the guise of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a Christian saint martyred in the early fourth century. She leans on a broken wheel studded with iron spikes, to which she was bound and tortured, and which became her standard attribute in art. Her right hand, delicately holding a martyr’s palm between thumb and forefinger, is brought to her chest.
The saint is portrayed as resilient, having endured torture – as indeed the artist herself did during the trial following her rape at the age of 17 by the painter Agostino Tassi. After the trial Artemisia moved from Rome to Florence, where this painting was probably made. She seems to have used her own image frequently in works she produced in Florence – a number of self portraits are known and others are recorded in seventeenth-century inventories. New to the city and keen to demonstrate her talent, she may have painted such pictures in a conscious act of self-promotion.
Artemisia Gentileschi, the most celebrated female artist of the seventeenth century, appears in the guise of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a Christian saint who died for her faith in the early fourth century. She leans on a broken wheel studded with iron spikes, on which she was bound and tortured, and which became her standard attribute in art. Her right hand, delicately holding a martyr’s palm between thumb and forefinger, is brought to her chest.
Artemisia was born in Rome, the only daughter of the artist Orazio Gentileschi, under whom she trained. At the age of 17 she was raped by Agostino Tassi, a family friend and Orazio’s artistic collaborator. During the infamous trial that followed, Artemisia testified and was tortured. After the trial she married and moved to Florence, where this painting was probably made. Saint Catherine’s facial features, the turn of her head and three-quarter pose, are all closely related to those in Artemisia’s Self Portrait as a Lute Player of about 1615–8 (Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut).
Artemisia seems to have used her own image frequently in works she produced in Florence – a number of self-portraits are known and others are recorded in seventeenth-century inventories. New to the city and keen to demonstrate her talent, she may have painted these pictures in a conscious act of self-promotion. Many of Artemisia’s paintings, in particular those depicting a strong female heroine, have often been read in biographical terms. Here, the choice of representing herself as a saint who underwent both psychological trials and physical torture may have been made by Artemisia or her patron, but nothing is known of the circumstances in which this painting was commissioned.
The tightly cropped composition of this picture focuses our attention on Saint Catherine’s resolute face and strong arm. The painting is contained in a tight square of approximately 70 cm and the saint is shown life-size and close up, against a plain background. She stands in the centre of the image, her head turned to gaze directly out at the viewer, while her body faces the wheel – the instrument of her torture. Only part of the wheel is visible and the close cropping adds to the intensity of the work, as does the theatrical lighting – a strong light from the right illuminates the claw-like spikes on the wheel, Catherine’s outstretched arm and the gleaming skin of her neck and shoulder. By contrast, the inside of the wheel and the folds of her dress are in deep shadow, the darkness to her right offsetting the light tones of her skin and turban. The painting’s naturalism and dramatic lighting are reminiscent of Caravaggio, who had associated with Artemisia’s father Orazio in the first decade of the seventeenth century and whose work had an enduring influence on her.
Like Orazio and Caravaggio, Artemisia was admired during her lifetime but was forgotten over the following centuries. Her work has only been properly re-evaluated over the last 50 years, and many paintings remain unidentified – her Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria was only discovered in 2017, and acquired by the Gallery shortly afterwards.
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Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Behind the scenes

The art restoration plan for Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Self Portrait'
In the first part of our film series about the restoration of Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria', Larry Keith our Head of Conservation and Keeper explains the steps we take to restore our paintings.

Cleaning Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Self Portrait'
What have we found so far during the restoration of Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria'? Larry Keith, our Head of Conservation and Keeper, explains how the painting's appearance is changing as old varnishes are re...

"It's such a 17th century thing to do"
Larry Keith, Head of Conservation and Keeper, talks with Letizia Treves, the James and Sarah Sassoon Curator of Later Italian, Spanish, and French 17th-Century Paintings, about the process of the cleaning of Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Self Portrait as ...

Who was Artemisia Gentileschi?
Who was Artemisia Gentileschi and how does she portray herself in this rare self portrait? Letizia Treves, the James and Sarah Sassoon Curator of Later Italian, Spanish, and French 17th-century Paintings, explores the life story of the most celebrate...

Finishing the clean
What can we learn from Artemisia Gentileschi's painting process now that cleaning of the painting has finished? Larry Keith, our Head of Conservation and Keeper, talks us through what he's found and what's next for our latest acquisition.

Repairing a 17th century canvas
Where do you start when relining the canvas of a 17th century painting and why is relining the painting so important? Find out with Conservators Paul Ackroyd and Lynne Harrison.

Applying the moisture treatment
How do we prepare a 17th century painting and its canvas to be relined and what does a moisture treatment entail? Conservators Paul Ackroyd and Lynne Harrison show us the process.

Finishing the relining
Now that the painting has gone through a moisture treatment and the new canvas has been added to the back of the painting, it's time to examine the work by removing the facing on the surface.

Reconstructing the unusual composition of Artemisia's 'Self Portrait'
During the restoration of the painting, the unusual composition of Artemisia's 'Self Portrait' has come into view. Letizia Treves, The James and Sarah Sassoon Curator of Later Italian, Spanish, and French 17th-century Paintings, and Larry Keith, Head...

'It's True, It's True, It's True': Becoming Artemisia Gentileschi
Co-writer/director Billy Barrett and performer/co-writer Ellice Stevens have a chat with curator Letizia Treves about how Artemisia Gentileschi has inspired their new play, 'It's True, It's True, It's True', and how relevant her story is today.

Retouching a 17th century painting
Watch as Larry Keith, our Head of Conservation and Keeper, begins the task of retouching some of the areas of damage seen on Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Self Portrait'.

Choosing a frame
How do you choose a frame for a 17th century painting that's never had one? Curator Letizia Treves chats with our Head of Conservation, Larry Keith, and our Head of Framing, Peter Schade, to talk about what frame will work for Artemisia Gentileschi's...

Framing Artemisia
Our Head of Framing, Peter Schade, takes us into the framing workshop to see the chosen frame for Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Self Portrait' as it's completed.

Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Self Portrait' goes on display
Watch as Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Self Portrait of Saint Catherine of Alexandria' goes on display in the Gallery for the first time ever in Central Hall.