Painting of a woman in a loosely wrapped dress holding a bowl and looking to the side — Artemisia Gentileschi (1593–1654), Allegory of Inclination (detail), 1615–1617, Oil on canvas. Ceiling of the Galleria in the Casa Buonarroti, Florence. Image courtesy of the Casa Buonarroti.

Curator Talk: Artemisia Gentileschi and the Ghost of Michelangelo

One of the most esteemed artists of the 17th century, Artemisia Gentileschi (1593–1654?) began forging her reputation as the era’s premier painter of heroic yet lifelike female nudes at the precocious age of 17. In doing so, she was consciously following in the footsteps of one of the greatest artists of the previous century, Michelangelo Buonarroti. Michelangelo’s nephew, known as Michelangelo Buonarroti Jr., recognized this spiritual connection when he met Artemisia in Florence. He had a special affection for her, even serving as godfather to her child.

Drawn from the archives of the Buonarroti and the Medici court, this talk explores the surprising parallels between these two independently minded artists, tracing a trail from Rome to Malta, to Florence, and finally to Indianapolis.

Following the talk, we invite you to attend a coffee reception in the Regis Court from 3 to 4 p.m.

Free tickets available October 2, 2025.

Sheila Barker holds a PhD in art history from Columbia University and has been at the Medici Archive Project (MAP), the leading digital humanities laboratory for the archival study of Renaissance history, since 2005. In 2010, Barker founded the world’s first archival research program dedicated to women artists, with special support from Jane Fortune. This program has recently been expanded and renamed the Center for Women in Renaissance Archives, reflecting the goal of digitizing historical archival material that advances the study of early modern women.

Barker has published widely on women artists of the 16th–19th centuries, including two monographs on Artemisia Gentileschi and an exhibition catalogue on Giovanna Garzoni. The latter accompanied the exhibition she curated for the Uffizi Galleries in 2020. Barker has also published on Poussin, Michelangelo, plagues and art, early news circulation, Urban VIII, and early modern medicine.

The program is presented with support from the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library’s Malta Study Center, in partnership with the Casa Buonarroti.

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_{Artemisia Gentileschi (1593–1654), Allegory of Inclination (detail), 1615–1617, Oil on canvas. Ceiling of the Galleria in the Casa Buonarroti, Florence. Image courtesy of the Casa Buonarroti.}