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Artemisia Gentileschi (8 July 1593–ca. 1656) was an Italian Early Baroque painter, today considered one of the most accomplished painters in the generation influenced by Caravaggio. In an era when women painters were not easily accepted by the artistic community, she was the first female painter to become a member of the Accademia di Arte del Disegno in Florence.
She was one of the first female artists to paint historical and religious paintings, at a time when such heroic themes were considered beyond a woman's reach.
Artemisia Gentileschi in 1632[]
Artemisia Gentileschi had heard of Grantville and was captivated by its ideas of gender equality. She was so impressed, she sent her daughter Prudenzia to Grantville to be educated.
Artemisia attended Galileo's hearing at the Church of San Matteo in Rome, thus being among the witnesses of Michel Ducos' ultimately-failed assassination attempt of Pope Urban VIII. She, like many other artists, would later create a painting of the attempt to present to the pope. But instead of painting USE Marine Corps calvary member Andrew Lennox taking the shot for Pope Urban or Father Lawrence Mazzare defending Galileo, she focused on Frank Stone comforting his brother Gerry after the latter accidentally shot Marius Pontigrazzi.
A week after the trial, Artemisia was invited by Cardinal Antonio Barberini to dine with him and the newly created Cardinal-protector Mazzare.