Author Interview CJ Denton | La Pittura

My guest this week is CJ Denton, author of a new novel called La Pittura. While his work is historical fiction, in preparation for the book, he conducted extensive research into the life of Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the most celebrated painters of the Italian Baroque era. We discussed her life and work particularly focusing on Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting (La Pittura), painted during her period in London around 1638–1639. She developed exceptional technical skill from an early age, learning the demanding craft of grinding raw pigments, sizing canvases, and mastering perspective in an era that severely limited professional opportunities for women. While discussions often fixate on her 1612 trial following her assault by Agostino Tassi, Gentileschi’s artistic brilliance and historical significance are far greater than that one ugly chapter. She navigated the practical realities of a working professional artist in 17th-century Florence and Naples, managing contracts, courting powerful noble patrons like the Medici, maintaining correspondence with intellectual luminaries like Galileo Galilei, and eventually operating her own independent studio.

Find CJ Denton and La Pittura online:

Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/0iYzGRsR
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HhUNc9APz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Author page: https://andrewsparke.com/our-authors/c-j-denton/

Check out my other podcasts  Fun Facts Daily | Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab

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