Psychoanalyzing Artists` Work

Introduction

Painting is an art, act, occupation or practice, of applying color, pigments or paints on a given surface in order to produce a specific image. In most cases, painting is employed by people in order to convey specific messages to the viewers, concerning behaviors, events, feelings, culture and others. However, most historians and some contemporary individuals consider some forms of painting as a way that artists employ in order to communicate their feelings or past experiences (psychoanalysis of artists). This paper criticizes the notion of self-portrait as an allegory of painting, by analyzing Artemisia Gentileschi`s work of painting.

It is evident that most historians and some contemporary viewers psychoanalyze artists through their work of painting. They anticipate that artists develop self-portraits in order to put across their feelings about their adverse circumstances. Their mentalities are sometimes justified since the features of some developed images directly reveal the feelings of the artists. For example, Artemisia developed a perfect image of her likeness, whereby the appearance of her mouth sensitized her society to value women`s role in the industry of arts (Mary 68−69).

However, psychoanalyzing artists based on feelings should not be the limit. People should also recognize the talented or skilled nature of work of artists. For example, Artemisia`s work of painting was a great talent. She managed to develop an outstanding image of her likeness that most men could not have managed. She managed to capture the ultimate essence of what an artist is (Mary 68−69). Her artistic skills could have been inherited from her father who was also an artist.

As an artist, I would wish individuals to deeply read my artistic work and formulate opinions and my state of mind. Most people enlightened and sensitized to condemn the atrocities that are propagated by our cultures such as male chauvinism and rape (Sarah 2001).

Conclusion

It is, therefore, evident that Artemisia was revealing her feelings concerning her circumstance through her artistic work. She managed to sensitize her society on the role of women in the art industry.

Work cited

Mary D. Garrard, Artemisia Gentileschi Around 1622: The Shaping and Reshaping of an Artistic Identity, CA: University of California Press, 2001.

Sarah Harper, “A Self-Portrait of Remarkable Strength,” Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History 1, no.1, Armstrong State University, 2011.