The Getty / Orazio Gentileschi in Genoa: Paintings for the Palazzo Sauli
by NY Arts
The Italian painter Orazio Gentileschi (1563—1639) was the most innovative follower of Caravaggio (1571—1610), whose emphasis on realism and dramatic lighting revolutionized painting in the early 1600s. Gentileschi adopted Caravaggio’s methods, including the practice of working directly from posed models, but he tempered realism with his own lyrical sense of beauty.
Between 1621 and 1623, Gentileschi established his fame with three paintings for a wealthy patron from Genoa, Giovan Antonio Sauli. This small exhibition reunites these extraordinary works, which include the Getty’s Lot and His Daughters and two works on loan from private collections: Dana� and the Shower of Gold and Saint Mary Magdalen in Ecstasy. The paintings explore relationships between women and God concerning sex and love. Each image represents a distinct perspective–one is drawn from classical mythology, one from Hebrew Scriptures, and one from Christian writings. Gentileschi’s compositions and the choice of subjects seem calculated to invite comparison and suggest meaning. See http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/gentileschi/
