Disobedient: The gripping feminist retelling of a seventeenth century heroine forging her own destiny

Product Information

This is a historical novel about the teenage years of Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653) during which time she was raped and was forced to endure truth testing by torture in the subsequent rape trial. Disobedient’ is a word that absolutely encapsulates the spirit of Artemisia, the central character in this story who is constrained and shackled by the era in which she lives and societies oppressive views of women. Caravaggio's sexuality is famously debated over, then and now, because Caravaggio's favorite subjects are young men in various states of undress. Please note that images of special editions are digitally constructed by the publisher and may differ from the final product due to the production process. The second half of the book becomes quite dramatic as the repercussions of this incident become clear, so if you don’t already know all the details in advance, which I didn’t, it’s interesting just to watch it all unfold.

Artemesia Gentileschi was 17 years old when she was groomed, raped, and then forced to testify about her abuse while being tortured. Sinds ik een aantal jaar geleden Susan Vreeland's boek over Artemisia las, vind ik zowel haar levensverhaal als haar werk fascinerend. I was lucky enough to study about her in some art history classes before visiting the Uffizi and seeing her Judith Slaying Holofernes in person, which absolutely floored me with its power and beauty. The reader can't help but want her to overcome the many obstacles and prejudices that she and her family endure so that she can continue to be true to herself.This historical fiction felt like a deep dive into life in Rome in the 17th century and the restrictions on a talented artist like Artemesia Gentileschi because she was female. And yet it still falls back on lazy stereotypes that evil men draw sexy paintings while good girl Gentileschi paints morally pure Art. It is readily apparent in the male-dominated world of art that she wants to draw her own path on like her art. However, Tassi’s arrival leads to a terrible experience for Artemisia – something I won’t go into here because I think any reader who has come to this book with little or no knowledge of Artemisia’s life will probably prefer to discover her story for themselves. A huge amount of fretting is spent depicting how Artemisia isn't free, how she can't go wherever she wants, how she is constantly chaperoned, yet her rapist attempts to assault her when she is without a chaperone.

The feminist element is strong and forceful in this book, downtrodden yet defiant Artemisia Gentileschi’s life and Fremantle’s interpretation of this feels congruent, heart clenching, and gut wrenching. This is a novel of strength, revenge, and female power, focusing on the real life facts known about Artemisia Gentileschi’s life. Perfecting her craft takes time, and one day a mysterious and handsome painting tutor decides to help her hone her skills. And had me crying, not just emotionally about what happens but feeling helpless about the injustice too! The attention to detail — so necessary in a narrative filled with painters — is absolutely engrossing and doesn’t let you forget for a moment that this is 17th-century Rome.As well as Artemisia, there are other characters in the novel who are equally well drawn; I’ve already mentioned Tassi and Artemisia’s father Orazio, but there’s also Zita, who becomes a model and chaperone for Artemisia, and Piero, Orazio’s assistant. Artemesia Gentileschi (an Italian Baroque painter considered to be one of the most accomplished seventeenth-century artists) is a woman who learns from an early age how to stand up to her manipulative father. Her evocation of the surroundings in which Artemisia lived - the constraints of both her physical surroundings and the social norms - is very vivid and often horrifying. Artemisia was an Italian painter, born in Rome, eventually an artist of Florence, and this novel takes place while she is still living with her family in Rome, around the time she paints one of her most famous paintings.

It follows the events of a single year that culminate in the city’s most infamous trial, during which Artemisia was forced to defend her character under brutal, public, testimony. Elizabeth Fremantle had created a novel about a lady who is someone we should all revere and respect. And the clever chapter names, many with double meanings, share the dark humor of the main character. Disobedient by Elizabeth Fremantle is a fictional novel based on the life of baroque female painter Artemisia Gentileschi, set in Rome in the early 17th Century. Recently Judith and her Maidservant was displayed at the Nelson Atkins Museum Of Art, and I was impressed by its large size, 72.For a 350-page book (which is not even that long) a lot of scenes seem to happen over and over, which made it really hard for me to be interested in what I was reading. Artemisia seeks to paint the truth in its more sincere form, whether that truth is amenable to society is a different matter. C. Fremantle she has written two gripping historical thrillers: The Poison Bed and The Honey and the Sting .

The strength Artemisia shows in refusing to be a victim and in seeing justice done is powerfully depicted by the author and yet I personally felt the story missed something by not portraying any real degree of vulnerability (other than towards others judgement of her art), when her life experiences, trials and tribulations would test the resolve and strength of any human being.Not because of the rape itself-- I know about Artemisia Gentileschi's life and I knew what I was getting into. Ever since I read Susan Vreeland’s book on Artemisia a few years ago, I have found both her life and her work fascinating. The festive holidays are the perfect time to escape the cold, cosy up with a hot drink and lose yourself in a new book. Her father is her early influence and mentor in developing her paint style, but she eclipses him as a teenager and he can't face it.