The naked painting

A painting by 17th century woman artist Artemisia Gentileschi is being restored and examined for a special exhibition.

Called 'Allegory of Inclination', the work was painted to honour one of Italy's most celebrated artists - Michelangelo Buonarroti - at the request of his great-nephew. It was positioned on the ceiling of the master's former Florence home in 1616.

Believed to be a self-portrait of the 22 year old artist, Gentileschi's work presents a naked female in the clouds. Six decades on, one of Michelangelo's relatives demanded a later artist paint blue veils over the female figure. He wished to protect his wife and family from the sight of bare skin.

Centuries later, specialists like Elizabeth Wicks have decided against removing those veils in case it damages the piece. However, the secrets of the original will be revealed via X-rays and digital examinations.

Elizabeth Wicks: "As we say in Italian "è stato rivoltato come un guanto", it's been turned inside out like a glove with all of the diagnostic techniques possible to understand how the painting was conceived, how it was painted, what happened to it afterwards and to see if we can read beneath the veils of censorship that were added to the painting."

Gentileschi was one of very few women in the 1600s to successfully earn a living from her art. Her incredible talent meant wealthy clients were willing to pay high sums for her creations.

Project coordinator Linda Falcone assumes Gentileschi also had an eye for business.

Linda Falcone: "The idea is to create a conversation around art by women, the fact that they were protagonists in their time. They had to be not only great painters but great diplomats. She had to know how to market herself, and that's what she's actually doing with the painting because not only is she tributing Michelangelo but she's saying, 'I as a woman have the inclination to paint'."

The project might, according to Falcone, encourage a wider debate on women and art.

View Less