Artemisia is a comic book written by Nathalie Ferlut and drawn by Tamia Baudouin, published by Delcourt in August 2017.
The biography of a woman painter
The story of Artemisia is far from fictional.Artemisia Lomi Gentileschi is an Italian painter who lived in the early 17th century. Born to a painter father, Orazio, who is among the best representatives of Caravaggio's school, Artemisia quickly showed a great talent for painting. In order to support his daughter and develop her talent, Orazio hired the painter Agostino Tassi as a private tutor. After violating Artemisia and the ensuing promise of marriage, he was brought before the court by Orazio. Questioned, Artemisia maintained her accusations despite the torture and obtained a semblance of condemnation of the painter. Many critics attributed the violence of her works to this episode in her life, which the authors strive to deconstruct.
A beautiful tribute
A symbol of perseverance, Artemisia's life has been the subject of numerous adaptations, both literary and audiovisual. Nathalie Ferlut and Tamia Baudouin have chosen an original angle, which pays tribute to the painter. Seen through the eyes of one of her two daughters, Artemisia's life is beautifully highlighted by the authors. Emphasizing her independence and strength of character, the comic tells the story of the painter's talent through her natural gift and sharp mind rather than through the men who marked her life. Her father, who developed her talent, her tutor who contributed to her fame, her husband who served as her front man and cleansed her honour are no longer put forward as the driving force behind her work. The first woman admitted to the academy of drawing regains here the merit that is sometimes taken away from her. The authors sign and persist: it is Artemisia who built herself and not these men who modeled her.
A successful bet
It is difficult to illustrate the life of such a talented woman painter with such striking realism. Yet the authors offer a book with a pronounced style, a sure, realistic and warm drawing. The comic is constructed in such a way that the era in which the story takes place is easily distinguishable from the memories told to Artemisia's young girl, which gives a more vivid aspect than if it had been a simple biography. The choice to present Artemisia's life as told to her child allows the authors to justify the didactic tone of the book, to transmit more easily the messages they wish to convey. With a well-balanced length, they manage to cover a large part of the artist's life, leaving out no important step and varying the rhythm of the story, arousing more interest in each plate the reader.
Well drawn and intelligently constructed, the comic strip Artemisia is the ideal book to discover this artist who has marked history as much by her brushes as by her strength of will.
