Self-Portrait as a Lute Player

Lute-playing women were a familiar type in paintings of this era, usually imagined by men. Here the painter is the musician. Artemisia Gentileschi casts herself as the lute player, fingers on the frets and eyes on the viewer, turning that type into a statement about her own talents. Christie's suggested it was likely commissioned by Grand Duke Cosimo II de' Medici, and the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford bought it at auction in 2014, so American readers can see it without crossing an ocean.