Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1656) was a highly accomplished Italian Baroque painter, known for her skill in colouring and her ability to convincingly depict the female figure. In an era when female painters were not easily accepted by the artistic community, she was the first woman to become a member of the Accademia di Arte del Disegno in Florence and had an international clientèle of nobility and royalty. A survivor of , a single mother, and a painter of incredible talent, Artemisia blazed a trail for women artists for centuries to come. Throughout her career, she worked in Florence, Naples, Rome, and even the English court at the invitation of Charles I. Her letters show a strong-willed, industrious artist navigating the troubles of the seventeenth century. Leading Gentileschi scholar Sheila Barker has collected enlightening early biographies of Artemisia and the most relevant of her many letters, creating a fascinating and rounded picture of the life of this influential artist.
