Oil on canvas, 161.5cm by 123cm.
Signed or inscribed: ‘Artemitia Gentileschi lomi facilibat A.D MDCXXII’.
The painting is listed by Brownlow, 9th Earl of Exeter (1725-1793), as being by Artemisia and as coming from the Barberini Palace in Rome.
It was presumably acquired by him whilst on the Grand Tour and is listed in the 1763 Burghley Inventory: ‘The bedchamber … over the chimney Susanna & the two elders.’
Artemisia, the daughter of the artist Orazio Gentileschi (1563-1639), was born in Rome.
She studied, with her brothers, in her father’s workshop and from a young age showed a prodigious talent.
She fought for artistic acceptance in a male dominated world, often portraying strong women from the Bible and mythology.
Today, she is considered one of the finest artists of her generation.
