Gentileschi and Goya Research
Francisco Goya. I chose his 'La Maja Desnuda' because of the situation that occured around this painting, and the way it was presented.
Research.
The Spanish Prime minister of Spain, Manvel De Godoy, around 1800 onwards had a private room full of nude paintings which would most likely be viewed after dinner or if you were a high society male.
Some time after Goya had added his work to the collection, Godoy fell from power and his room was discovered by the Spanish Inquisition.They claimed the paintings are 'questionable'. Godoy was brought before a tribunal and forced to give the names of the artist for each painting. And so Goya was brought up and questioned about his intentions for producing the painting.
Goya was accused of 'moral depravity' pleaded that he took inspiration from Velazquez Rokeby Venus, whom the church and courts admired and which was one of the painting that his hung amongst, so how could his painting be seen as controversial as he was following the traditions of the Masters.
There is a twin painting with the La Maja Desduna. A clothed version called La Maja Vestida. This was thought to have hung infront of the nude version and could reveal it from underneath with a pully system in the Prime Ministers home. Which I would think was a party piece while he entertained other men after dinner parties.
Gentileschi
From a young age Artemisia was painted naked by her father in his work. He held workshops for other budding artists in his home. She started learning art working in her fathers workshops where she encountered many male artists including Tassi, who subsequently raped her. She was put in his trust to teach her painting and he in the end abused that power. This led to Artemisia feeling like she had been bate for her fathers workshop. And didn't believe that he didn't know what was happening.
Susanna and the Elders was painted when she was just 17. Depicts 2 men as protagonists in reaction to her Rape and you can speculate that it was possibly her father or another artist and Tassi who are the 2 men in the painting.
The story is religious, the Book of Daniel. Susanna is accused of voyeurism after being left unattended whilst bathing and followed by two men who threatened to claim she was meeting a young man if she didn't have sex with them. The ending to the story is one that Aremisia didn't get. Susanna's accusers were found to be lying. Artemisia places herself in the painting maybe wishing for the torture to end.
Judith slays Holorneferness was painted the year of the trial in which she was humiliated in so many ways before a court of men and her father. So much of this story relates to modern day #metoo scenarios. In this work she turns the tables on the male figures, and the females become protagonists. Her work is very strong reaction to what has happened to her and it is very powerful and shocking to view if you don't know her past.
After all that humilation and judgement in court and after her punishment, to have her fingers tightly bound until they bled, for the accusation that she was lying about the Rape. And although she couldn't use her hands very well after this brutality, she picked up her paint brush and produced Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting
The Spanish Prime minister of Spain, Manvel De Godoy, around 1800 onwards had a private room full of nude paintings which would most likely be viewed after dinner or if you were a high society male.
Some time after Goya had added his work to the collection, Godoy fell from power and his room was discovered by the Spanish Inquisition.They claimed the paintings are 'questionable'. Godoy was brought before a tribunal and forced to give the names of the artist for each painting. And so Goya was brought up and questioned about his intentions for producing the painting.
Goya was accused of 'moral depravity' pleaded that he took inspiration from Velazquez Rokeby Venus, whom the church and courts admired and which was one of the painting that his hung amongst, so how could his painting be seen as controversial as he was following the traditions of the Masters.
It has been claimed that the woman was the Prime Ministers Mistress or Maja which means low class Spaniard, but it is still very much a mystery. It was also considered the most profane, disrespectful to religion, painting in the western world at that time. Most likely because you could make out pubic hair which was left out of classic paintings.
There is a twin painting with the La Maja Desduna. A clothed version called La Maja Vestida. This was thought to have hung infront of the nude version and could reveal it from underneath with a pully system in the Prime Ministers home. Which I would think was a party piece while he entertained other men after dinner parties.
Gentileschi
From a young age Artemisia was painted naked by her father in his work. He held workshops for other budding artists in his home. She started learning art working in her fathers workshops where she encountered many male artists including Tassi, who subsequently raped her. She was put in his trust to teach her painting and he in the end abused that power. This led to Artemisia feeling like she had been bate for her fathers workshop. And didn't believe that he didn't know what was happening.
The story is religious, the Book of Daniel. Susanna is accused of voyeurism after being left unattended whilst bathing and followed by two men who threatened to claim she was meeting a young man if she didn't have sex with them. The ending to the story is one that Aremisia didn't get. Susanna's accusers were found to be lying. Artemisia places herself in the painting maybe wishing for the torture to end.
Judith slays Holorneferness was painted the year of the trial in which she was humiliated in so many ways before a court of men and her father. So much of this story relates to modern day #metoo scenarios. In this work she turns the tables on the male figures, and the females become protagonists. Her work is very strong reaction to what has happened to her and it is very powerful and shocking to view if you don't know her past.
After all that humilation and judgement in court and after her punishment, to have her fingers tightly bound until they bled, for the accusation that she was lying about the Rape. And although she couldn't use her hands very well after this brutality, she picked up her paint brush and produced Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting
Comments
Post a Comment