Artemisia

19971997
RR
1h 38min

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653) was one of the first well-known female painters. The movie tells the story of her youth, when she was guided and protected by her father, the painter Orazio... Read allArtemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653) was one of the first well-known female painters. The movie tells the story of her youth, when she was guided and protected by her father, the painter Orazio Gentileschi. Her professional curiosity about the male anatomy, forbidden for her eyes, l... Read allArtemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653) was one of the first well-known female painters. The movie tells the story of her youth, when she was guided and protected by her father, the painter Orazio Gentileschi. Her professional curiosity about the male anatomy, forbidden for her eyes, led her to the knowledge of sexual pleasure. But she was also well known because in 1612 sh... Read all

6.7/10

2.1K

Director
- Agnès Merlet
Writers
- Patrick Amos
- Agnès Merlet(screenplay)
- Christine Miller(screenplay)
Stars

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 5 nominations

Valentina Cervi stars as Artemisia Gentileschi

Director
- Agnès Merlet
Writers
- Patrick Amos
- Agnès Merlet(screenplay) (story)
- Christine Miller(screenplay) (story)
All cast & crew
See more cast details at IMDbPro

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653) was one of the first well-known female painters. The movie tells the story of her youth, when she was guided and protected by her father, the painter Orazio Gentileschi. Her professional curiosity about the male anatomy, forbidden for her eyes, led her to the knowledge of sexual pleasure. But she was also well known because in 1612 she had to appear in a courtroom because her teacher, Agostino Tassi, was suspected of raping her. She tried to protect him, but was put in the thumb screws... —kipjohn <saskia@virtualbears.com>

male frontal nudity f rated male pubic hair pubic hair virginity 61 more

Taglines
- Her passion for her art changed the face of history.
Genres
Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
- Rated R on appeal for strong, graphic sexuality and nudity
Parents guide

Trivia
The movie is a biography of the painter Artemisia Gentileschi, but many major details of her life were changed, leading to widespread criticism. In the movie, the relationship between Artemisia and Agostino is portrayed as a beautiful love affair, and the reason Artemisia is is tortured is because she refuses to testify that he raped her. In reality, Agostino really did rape Artemisia (and other women), and the reason she was tortured was because she did testify in court that he had raped her.

Goofs
Near the end of the movie, when Artemisia breaks down her outdoor studio, her hands have healed, so the bandages are gone. But then, when she goes to Tassi's house and in all scenes thereafter, the bandages are still there and bleeding.

Quotes
Orazio Gentileschi: You're always painting saints by day and sinning by night.

Alternate versions
Italian version removed some sexually-explicit shots in order to attain the equivalent of a G-rating.

Connections
Featured in The 55th Annual Golden Globe Awards 1998 (1998)

Top review

Stunning work of Art

A romantic drama about the 17th century italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi, the first woman in western art to be recognised officially by the guilds as a painter and the central figure in a notorious rape trial. By far the most striking element of this film is the smorgasbord of sensual imagery. From the rustic, artistic sets to the rich costumes to the extremely textural shots of skin this one just screams "Touch Me". The camera work is spot on and draws the viewer into the mise en scene completely unawares of what is happening to him or her. Very seductive.

The message of the film is quite simply that art conquers all. Love certainly doesn't and lust is portrayed in an at times farcical manner. In particular the artists orgy scene viewed with delirious humour through the window by our herioine (Artemisia) and the troubling sex scene with her teacher both reinforce the pain, literally, and the bestiality of the sex act.

It's not surprising that her mature work dealt with violent acts of revenge and holy sacrifice in light of what she went through

The shots of skin, sea, sand, canvas and paint dominate this film as the director attempts to create a living canvas on the screen. For the most part this is what is achieved.

The dialogue and plot are almost arbitrary to the dominance of the images, and as such this is an almost edible and tactile piece of work.

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