Unknown women ... artists

Artemisia Gentileschi...








was a wonderful painter who lived in Florence in the 17th Century, same good as any other male artist of this period. Her work is tortured, stemming from the fact that at the age of 19 she was raped by a friend of her fathers and the humiliated in the ensuing trial. In spite of her difficulties she became one of the leading painters of her day, and yet since that time she has been consigned to obscurity whilst her male contemporaries can be found in any art book dealing with that period.

Camille Claudel...

she was the misstress and assistance of sculptor Rodin. Historically whilst Rodin was given the credit, she physically worked behind the scenes sculpting on or completing many of his master works and certainly exerted a profound influence on his work during the period that she was with him. Yet, she spent her last days in a mental institution and died in relative obscurity.