ルクレティア

Artemisia Gentileschi came back to Lucretia again and again across her career, the Roman noblewoman who was raped by a king's son and then killed herself rather than live dishonoured. The subject was close to her. As a young woman in Rome, Artemisia had herself been raped by a fellow painter and gave evidence at the trial that followed in 1612, testifying while her hands were bound with cords. Here she catches the moment before the act. Lucretia sits half-lit, a dagger in her hand, her eyes turned up as she reasons her way toward the decision. The picture dropped out of sight for centuries in private hands, and only resurfaced when the Getty acquired it in 2021.