The art of "Gabriel's Inferno" and "Gabriel's Rapture"

There are countless wonderful pleasures awaiting readers of “Gabriel’s Inferno” and “Gabriel’s Rapture:” the characters, the story, the music, the trips to exotic locations....

And then there’s the artwork. Some of my favorite scenes in the books showcase classic pieces of art with fascinating histories.

“Dante’s Inferno” is one of the greatest literary works of all time, of course, but I also love how SR references many outstanding paintings. He often uses them to help us visualize or understand a scene. When Richard scolds Scott in “Gabriel’s Inferno” for being cruel to Gabriel, he points to Rembrandt’s “The Return of the Prodigal Son.” It’s easy to see the connection between Richard’s love for his troubled older son and the painting which movingly depicts the Biblical parable.

In one of the most touching scenes in “Gabriel’s Rapture,” Julia shows Gabriel a picture of “The Vision of St. Francesca Romana,” which portrays St. Frances gazing with love at a baby held on Mary’s lap. Julia tells Gabriel it reminds her of his daughter Maia in heaven, being cared for and loved by Grace. “Vision” was painted by Orazio Gentileschi, an Italian Baroque artist who was strongly influenced by Caravaggio for most of his career.

The scene inspired me to find out more about Orazio Gentileschi. (Parenthetically, it should be noted that this is probably also SR’s intent: to inspire us to explore and learn more about world masterpieces.) Orazio had several sons, but his daughter, Artemisia, was his most prominent offspring. An important painter in her own right, Artemisia also painted in Caravaggio’s style of stark realism. The more I read about her, the more fascinated I became with her life and accomplishments.

Among her earliest and most proficient paintings is “Susanna and the Elders” (1610), a depiction of the Biblical wife Susanna (Shoshanna), a virtuous woman who was sexually harassed by male elders. She was only 17 years old when she completed it, and the color, composition, and technique seem so beyond a teenager’s capability that for years many thought it had been done by her father. 

In 1612-13, Artemisia painted “Judith Beheading Holofernes,” another Biblical scene which depicts the Jewish widow Judith beheading the Assyrian general Holofernes with the assistance of her servant. Holofernes and his army had taken siege of Judith’s village of Bethulia. He passed out drunk after ordering a feast in celebration of her great beauty. Judith took advantage of the situation to murder the general, and the people of her village triumphantly turned back the Assyrians after Holofernes’ death.

The painting is graphic and gruesome, with Judith determinedly holding his head as she uses the knife. The painting is often seen as an allegory of the triumph of Judaism over its enemies.

The subject matter of victimized women has unfortunate parallels to Artemisia’s own life. While still a teenager, she was raped by Agostino Tassi, her art instructor. Tassi was a contemporary of her father’s; in fact, Orazio had appointed Tassi as his daughter’s teacher. When Tassi did not marry Artemisia as promised, Orazio brought the case to court. It was the first recorded rape trial in history; transcripts of the proceedings are still in existence. Artemisia was forced to give evidence and was reportedly tortured for it. Although Tassi was found guilty and was exiled from Rome for five years, he was back in the city within months, apparently after bribing officials to let him return.

Artemisia married Pierantonio Stattesi, a Florentine painter. At the age of 23, she became the first woman to join Florence’s esteemed Academy of Design. Her painting style became more individualized, and rather than paint the portraits or still life that were common for painters of her time, she continued to draw upon historical subjects. She was associated with the Medici court, and painted frescoes celebrating Michelangelo in the Casa Buonarroti.

Brilliant, determined, astute and extraordinarily talented, Artemisia Gentileschi is a woman for the ages. If you are interested in reading more about her, I recommend “Artemisia” by Alexandra Lapierre. It is a fictionalized biography of her life, and very well written. You can find out more about it here:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/179335.Artemisia