Post 6

Belen Vidal's article entitled the "Feminist Historiographies and the Woman Artist's Biopic: The Case of Artemisia," Vidal comments on the way in which films such as Artemisia "blur the borders between fiction and history to produce new variations on an 'old' genre: the biographical picture or biopic." Vidal goes on to analyze the way in which the film works as a postfeminist revision of women's histories through its handling of the feminist issue and the feminine agency through a fantasy ridden romantic account of the relationship between Artemisia and her "mentor" or teacher, Agostino. Through a careful analysis of the mise-en-scene of Artemisia, the deliberate framing techniques, and the manipulation of the gaze, both the viewers and the heroine's, Vidal touches on the way in which this film furthers the subjection of women, not as a means of working to deflate such gender biased notions. Vidal also touches on the controversial issues of the film as it portrays a contradictory take on the life of Artemisia Gentileschi. She supports her argument through the analysis of the inadequate treatment of the historical facts known about the painter and its portrayal of the artist as a young woman. Vidal's essay comments on the dual feminism of the film, explaining how it has been seen as a feminist film since it "foregrounds the woman artist's struggle for self-expression and professional independence against the repressive backdrop of Christian ideology and the patriarchal establishment." She goes on to explain that the film also subverts the pro-feminist ideology through its focus on the sexual aspect of Artemisia's life, not her talent and abilities as the first woman artist. Vidal goes on to support her argument through the motifs employed in the film, including the feminine gaze aspect, the "looking," voyeuristic element of the film, and the way in which these aspects are further communicated by the perspectival grid used to paint. Vidal also brings the issue of the male genius artist to the forefront of the film through the character of Agostino and the subsequent character of Artemisia.

Mary Garrard's article comments on the director, Merlet's, anti-feminist portrayal of Artemisia through her emphasis on the love affair, not on the accomplishments of the artist. She incorporates quotations from the director who self who claims that her intentions for the film can be justified because it was an "effort to reflect Artemisia's inner struggles, rather than what she seems to consider the ambiguous facts of the trial." She argues that the reality of the love affair is "proved by the fact that Artemisia continued to have sex with Tassi after her violation."Unlike the actual happenings of Artemisia's life, rape, affair, and trial, Merlet chose to portray the victimized artist as a weakling who did not stick up for herself and "whose courage consists of acting on her sexual impulses, whose challenge to society lies in her 'giving in to love in an era of arranged marriages'." Her biased portrayal works against the premise of Artemisia and her career. Unlike the one portrayed in the film, the real Artemisia, according to Garrard, "broke larger rules," as she challenged the "gender norms of her day through her art, presenting traditional themes with altered emphases that bring out the perspectives of the female characters." Artemisia's art work can be seen as one that deals predominantly with the projection of the female experience into the masculine dominated world as she worked through the realities of her rape and her sexual "coming of age" aspect through her art work. Garrard also goes on to comment on the factual inaccuracy of the film in terms of the mistaken chronological order of the presentation of facts, including the production of certain of Artemisia's works of art. Garrard understands the key theme of the film to be "Artemisia's sexual initiation by Tassi" as the foundation of her "artistic creativity" which awoke her "esthetic and sensory perceptions through his teaching and lovemaking." She sees that the film focuses primarily on Tassi's creative power over the weakling Artemisia, not on her talent or abilities to produce such remarkable artworks. Garrard claims that Merlet's film presents a construction of Artemisia as a mere sexual prowess with a clear preoccupation with her sexuality, not with her talent.

Tina Olsin Lent's article entitled "My Heart Belongs to Daddy": The Fictionalization of Baroque Artists Artemisia Gentileschi" comments on the idea of the "Artemisia fictions" inherent in her cultural representations and the gender bias of artist biographical films. She explains the advent of artistic fictions and the genre which was originally referred to as "Kunstlerromane," which are "artist novels that focus specifically on the formation of an artist, rather than on the more general growth and development of a young man who is an apprentice to life." It is a type of "quest story" which follows the presumed male protagonist through his coming of age tale, the "goal of development or character formation is applicable to a male, but not a female, life." The only portrayals of the female artist and her development is only founded on the pain and suffering she has experienced as opposed to her artistic capabilities and rise to fame as an accomplished artist. Lent argues that the "Artemisia fictions" can be seen in this context due to the minimal amount of monographic treatments of women artists and the subsequent biased portrayal of women artists. In regards to Artemisia, the artemisia fictions come in to play in regards to the treatment of her rape over her artistic abilities. Her life is defined by her relationship with a male artist, Agostino, not by her crowning achievements. She supports her argument with multiple "Artemisia fictions" in the mode of novel, as well as with Merlet's film. She argues that Merlet's film is grounded in terms of a "sexual economy," which positions "the male artist as the creator, teaching and awakening the creativity of his female student, literalizing the metaphor of a male's artistic creativity flowing like seminal fluid into their female students," a though which is argued by Garrard as well. Merlet's focus on the eye of the artist and the idea of looking and the act of looking and seeing "as both artistic and sexual ways of knowing." The artistic eye is no longer seen in the subtext of the artist, but in Artemisia's sexual awakening and motivation via sexual and eroticized means.

In my opinion, I think that it is never okay to infuse real facts and historical events with a fantastical and romanticized element. I do not think that blurring the real facts of the situations which have transpired and infusing them with a romantic undertone is a legitimate means of portraying an artists life. By confusing the facts, reorganizing the chronological production of art works and events, and focusing on the sexual content rather than the actual historical facts that have happened, works against the film and against the image of the women artist.