We have this painting at the National Gallery in Washington.
You may not believe this was painted in 1612. Surrounded by its Italian Renaissance neighbors, it stands out. It is stunning.
What makes this image so distinct?
-the woman is fully clothed
-her clothing is not opulent
-she is not presenting herself
-she is turning her back to us
-she is absorbed in her music
-she has an interior life
-she is not a symbol or a saint
-this is not an illustration of Christian or Greek mythology
-this is a person
-there is no message, no moral, no lesson
Not only that, the composition is asymmetrical. How did he get away with this? In 1612! In Rom!
The image engages us the way modern art engages us.
-the painter places the human figure off center
-half of the painting is a void, with the table cloth minimally suggested
-the foreshortened violin on the table points at us, as if to address us: hey you, you’re part of this.
When you walk through a museum you can spot a Gentileschi from a long distance. He painted women unlike any of his contemporaries did.
Except his daughter, Artemisia Gentileschi, who was his student.
Orazio Gentileschi, 1563 Tuscany – 1639 London
Lute Player, 56-1/2 x 50-3/4, Natl Gal of Art, Washington DC, 1612-15
Find more of his paintings at:
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artamaze by Katherine Hilden 
I love this painting of a real woman, not an object. A true human being.
As early as the 15th century we find portraits of royalty and the very wealthy, heavily idealized we can be sure. This Gentileschi painting, however, is not in that category. And it’s not even a commission. Gentileschi had an extraordinary sensibility. The image is not showy at all, so quiet and introverted, we can immediately relate to it. 1612!