Disobedient: The gripping feminist retelling of a seventeenth century heroine forging her own destiny

Product Information

Artemisia's life was extraordinary, and so is this book. I was swept away by lush, evocative prose. An unforgettable, moving and important story told with great skill and care' JENNIFER SAINT Artemesia Gentileschi was 17 years old when she was groomed, raped, and then forced to testify about her abuse while being tortured. In the same year she painted her infamous Judith , and one of the great Renaissance masters was born.

Perfecting her craft takes time, and one day a mysterious and handsome painting tutor decides to help her hone her skills. Tassi is dashing, charming, and hugely gifted in his field, and for a fleeting moment he represents everything that a life of freedom offers. In 1611, the painter Agostino Tassi enters Artemisia’s life, first as her tutor and then as her intended husband. However, Tassi’s arrival leads to a terrible experience for Artemisia – something I won’t go into here because I think any reader who has come to this book with little or no knowledge of Artemisia’s life will probably prefer to discover her story for themselves. The second half of the book becomes quite dramatic as the repercussions of this incident become clear, so if you don’t already know all the details in advance, which I didn’t, it’s interesting just to watch it all unfold.The book's afterword explains the author's personal reasons for writing the book, and the extent to which she has fictionalised the history ,which is helpful for the reader - I wish more writers in this genre did the same. Some readers may be familiar with the talented 17th century Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1656), the Italian baroque artist whose paintings include Susanna and the Elders, Judith Slaying Holofernes, and Judith and Her Maidservant, there has been a resurgence of interest in her in more recent times. Elizabeth Fremantle blends fact and fiction in this well researched novel, to depict an earlier part of her life, growing up in Rome, she had lost her mother and is raised by her Caravaggio influenced artist father, Orazio. She is shaped by the norms and expectations of women, the limitations and to be ruled by men, Artemesia underwent the drama of what is a well known period of horror and trauma in her life. This novel has a wonderful, if somewhat bloody beginning, acting like a promise of what’s to come and the author had captured my attention straight away. 6-year-old Artemisia witnessing with her father the execution of a young girl, an experience that will shape and mould her artistic vision. So, my first impression of this one isn’t the kindest, I’ll apologize for that in advance. But, this book knows exactly whose ass it is kissing. I mean, I am as Artemisia–obsessed as anybody, but our heroine here is brilliant and faultless from six-years old onward… so it’s a point of view, but not one that’d be entirely manageable if not for the harrowing events that we all know are coming along the way. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and @michaeljbooks for a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Artemisia Gentileschi dreams of becoming a great artist. Motherless, she grows up among a family of painters - men and boys. She knows she is more talented than her brothers, but she cannot choose her own future. She belongs to her father and will belong to a husband. Het fijne is ook dat Fremantle een andere insteek kiest dan Vreeland. Fremantle beschrijft de periode dat ze in Rome woonde voor haar huwelijk en dus ook de periode van haar verkrachting en proces. Het is de tijd dat ze haar eerste Judith en haar eerste Susanna creëert. Terwijl Vreeland de hele periode daarna uitwerkte, die hier dus niet aan bod kwam. Ever since I read Susan Vreeland’s book on Artemisia a few years ago, I have found both her life and her work fascinating. I stood in front of her Judith slaying Holofernes at the Uffizi last spring with my eyes wide open. So when I heard that my favourite author Elizabeth Fremantle who is known for her Tudor and Stuart books, would be publishing a novel about her, I was immediately interested.Artemisia made several paintings of the same subject. Recently Judith and her Maidservant was displayed at the Nelson Atkins Museum Of Art, and I was impressed by its large size, 72.44 in × 55.75 in. I have been interested in the paintings of Artemisia Gentileschi for a long time and knew her story so I was little doubtful about a fiction version of her life. But Elizabeth Fremantle has written an excellent book. Few writers manage to portray the art of painting effectively but she manages it very well although I was still thankful for Google which made it possible for me to look at them while I read. What have you created?’ She is strangely calm. ‘A monster? Is that what you were going to say? No, Father, all you have created is a woman with a mind of her own. Perhaps that seems monstrous to you.’”

As Artemisia patiently goes from lesson to lesson, perfecting her craft, a mysterious tutor enters her life. Tassi is a dashing figure, handsome and worldly, and for a moment he represents everything that a life of freedom might offer. But then the unthinkable happens. A violent act that threatens Artemisia's honour, and her virtue.Disobedient” proves the perfect title for the book, which rings the motif repeatedly, layering meaning onto the word like oils on canvas until it takes a dynamic shape and an entirely new image emerges. Although we don’t know a lot about what really happened to her, Fremantle writes a compelling story together. You almost hope there will be a sequel but I believe this will not be the case when I read her historical note and personal motivation to write this book. Another great novel that didn’t disappoint and I’m already eagerly looking forward to Fremantle’s next book. Her evocation of the surroundings in which Artemisia lived - the constraints of both her physical surroundings and the social norms - is very vivid and often horrifying. Not only does Elizabeth Fremantle’s Disobedience give flesh and bones to Artemesia and her family but her writing pulls you into the era to experience life too. This story is outstanding.