J. Paul Getty Museum -- Artemisia's Strong Women: Rescuing a Masterpiece

In 2020, a massive explosion in the port of Beirut devastated the city. Among the wreckage was a severely damaged and previously unknown painting by Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653), the most celebrated woman painter of 17th-century Italy. The painting came to the Getty for in-depth conservation treatment. 

Join Catherine Hess to view this restored painting in an installation focused on its repair and accompanied by three of Gentileschi’s other paintings that highlight her special focus on strong women from the classical and biblical traditions. The rediscovered work on view depicts a scene from the Greek myth of Hercules in which the hero is punished for an inadvertent M**der to serve for one year as a slave to Omphale, the Queen of Lydia. Hercules was forced to do women’s work and even wear women’s clothing. The theme, with its inversion of sexual roles, gave artists ample opportunity to explore issues of gender and power.

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