From Artemis to Artemisia. Representations of a powerful amazon

Abstract

The following pages explore the representation of the strong woman in arts, who, with an aggressive attitude, and armed, does not hesitate to confront the man. To establish chronological and geographical limits that narrow the scope of the study, it starts from Greco-Roman antiquity, through the Middle Ages, until reaching the famous painting of Judith and Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi. We will explore different examples that illustrate and shape the discourse within Western Europe. On the one hand, the idea is to list the different women —and also personifications with a strong allegorical character— who have been represented as a femme forte, highlighting their belligerent and powerful attributes. On the other hand, we will also establish the variations and constants of this iconography between the different periods, its link with the textual sources, and the relationship with society and the context of the moment.