Burghley House invites the viewers to step into Artemisia Gentileschi’s life and works in a virtual reality experience. Artemisia Gentileschi was an Italian Baroque-period painter known for her works Susanna and the Elders and Judith Slaying Holofernes. Gentileschi was also one of the first female artists who stand up for women’s rights.
History, art, and virtual reality technology meet in The Light in the Shadow exhibition. Jonathan Jones, art contributor for The Guardian says “It’s like being inside a graphic novel – and it’s bursting with life.” The VR experience brings the audience back in time to the 17th century in Rome, Italy, where Gentileschi lived. In her Dad’s–Orazio Gentileschi’s house, she was painting in a room, with Saint Peter Basilica’s scenery outside the window.
The 14-minute virtual reality experience makes the viewers immerse in Artemisia’s journey to her world where women were subordinated and have no right to become one of Europe’s prominent painters.
Burghley House also displays one of Gentileschi’s masterpieces, Susanna and the Elders (1622). This is an astonishing painting and her second interpretation of the biblical story of Susanna, in the book of Daniel. The first interpretation was made in 1610. The painting depicts a nude woman sitting, about to bathe. Behind her, two elder men lurking above the woman. She attempts to cover her body with her arms.
In the bible, the woman named Susanna. She is a Babylonian Jewish woman. Two elder judges try to entrap her, threatening to accuse her of adultery if she refuses to have sex with them. Susanna has strong faith and remains to refuse the two judges. Gentileschi can manage to portray simultaneously Susanna’s distress and refutation toward the elders. The two judges were also depicted as cunning and obscene figures indicated by his finger gesture.
Co-creators of the award-winning VR experience, Gaëlle Mourre, and Quentin Darras share the inspiration behind The Light in the Shadow.
(Hi)Story of a Painting, the creator of The Artemisia Gentileschi Virtual Reality Experience, wants to share their “passion for stories, art, and learning, and to include as many people as possible in the process”. The creator intends to reveal the interesting stories of “artists who are typically erased from history”. In this series, they want to highlight Gentileschi’s life as a female artist and her struggle against the patriarchal world through her arts.
The Light in the Shadow underlines Artemisia Gentileschi’s inspiration which makes a revolutionary step “to show the relevance of female artist”. Her arts challenge the domination of males in visual arts and defy gender stereotypes.
The Artemisia Gentileschi Virtual Reality Experience, The Light in the Shadow, is on view at Burghley from 23rd July to 31st August 2022.