Painter as Painting

Late in her career Artemisia made a portrait no male artist could copy: Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting. Tradition pictured "Painting" itself as a woman — so by painting her own face onto that figure, Artemisia became both the artist and the very idea of art.

She shows herself mid-brushstroke, hair loose, eyes fixed on the canvas. A male painter could only stand beside the muse; Artemisia merged with her, signing the claim that the art and the woman were one.