Saint Apollonia (Artemisia Gentileschi)

Saint Apollonia is a painting attributed to the Italian baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi executed between 1642 and 1644. It is part of the collection of the Museo Soumaya in Mexico City, Mexico.

Saint Apollonia
ArtistArtemisia Gentileschi
Yearc. 1642–1644
MediumOil on canvas
MovementBaroque
SubjectSaint Apollonia
Dimensions74.3 cm × 57 cm (29.3 in × 22 in)
LocationMuseo Soumaya, Mexico City

Description

The painting depicts Saint Appolonia, a martyr who died in Alexandria during an uprising against Christians in the thirteenth century. The portrait shows the saint from the waist up, against a dark background, looking up, as if skyward. Her left hand extended upward, while her right hand is carrying a pair of tweezers with a tooth, an iconographic attribute that helps identify her as Apollonia.[1]

The dress of Apollonia is mauve velvet with light blue sleeves that allow to appreciate the draping of the fabric. The sleeves and neck are adorned with pearls. An important aspect is the use of chiaroscuro, a pictorial technique typical of the baroque that helps make the picture more dramatic, in the style of Caravaggio.[2]

The painting is believed to be painted in Naples, after her return from London in 1642, and was paired with picture of Saint Lucy.

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gollark: Much.
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References
  1. Katritzky, M. A. (2007-01-01). Women, Medicine and Theatre, 1500-1750: Literary Mountebanks and Performing Quacks. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 9780754650843.
  2. Lambert, Gilles; Caravaggio, Michelangelo Merisi da; Néret, Gilles (2000-01-01). Caravaggio, 1571-1610. Köln; London: Taschen. ISBN 382286305X. OCLC 44016171.
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