Artemisia

First published in 1953, Artemisia immediately established itself as a classic. At the centre of the book is Artemisia Gentileschi, a painter influenced by Michelangelo and Caravaggio. A rising star in 17th-century Naples, Artemisia realises that success has been bought at too high a price ? she has failed as a woman, a wife and a mother. The closer the author, Anna Banti, gets to her subject, the more she is forced to reflect on the condition of women today and on her own life in German-occupied Italy. Anna Banti?s Artemisia is an important reflection on art, femininity and the creative experience. Translated by Shirley D?Ardia Caracciolo and now with an Introduction by acclaimed feminist critic Susan Sontag.