Susanna and the Elders About 1635–37, Artemisia Gentileschi; Viviano Codazzi (building); Domenico Gargiulo (landscape). Oil on canvas. Collection of Dick Wolf. Photo: Alex Fox, Getty Museums
On Friday, August 22nd, members of the California and Northwest Chapters came together at the Getty Museum for a very special curator-led visit to the exhibition Artemisia's Strong Women: Rescuing a Masterpiece, followed by lunch at the Getty Restaurant.
Photo: visitcalifornia.com, Getty Museum
In 2020, a massive explosion in the port of Beirut devastated the city. Among the wreckage was a previously unknown painting by Artemisia Gentileschi, the most celebrated woman painter of 17th-century Italy. Depicting a scene from the Greek myth of Hercules, the severely damaged painting came to the Getty for in-depth conservation treatment.
The exhibition centered on this dramatic restoration, where the recovered work was presented alongside four of Gentileschi's other paintings—each highlighting her distinctive focus on donne forti (strong women) drawn from classical and biblical traditions. It was a striking testament to both her artistic vision and the painstaking work required to bring this masterpiece back to life.
Patrons were extremely fortunate to have the visit led by the Getty's Senior Curator of Paintings, Davide Gasparotto. He offered a behind-the-scenes look at the complicated authentication and restoration of Hercules and Omphale, as well as insight into where the work fits within Gentileschi's remarkable body of work.
Getty Museum’s senior conservator of paintings Ulrich Birkmaier uses a Q-Tip and solvent to clean the surface of Hercules and Omphale by Artemisia Gentileschi, from Sursock Palace Collections. Photo: Getty Museum
"In my over 30-year career as a paintings conservator, this is some of the worst damage I have ever witnessed and was one of the most challenging yet rewarding projects I've had the pleasure to work on," Ulrich Birkmaier, the Getty's senior conservator of paintings, has said. "It was sort of like assembling a massive puzzle—little by little the painting came back to life."
This exclusive gathering offered an unforgettable morning of discovery, dialogue, and connection—grounded in a story of resilience, artistry, and the enduring power of strong women.