The Birth of Saint John the Baptist. Artemisa Gentileschi

This painting shows the birth of Saint John the Baptist.

Saint John the Baptist is the baby in the centre of the painting.

A group of 4 women surrounds the baby.

One of the women holds the baby to wash him.

2 other women help her.

Behind them, we can see another woman carrying another recipient with water.

On the left of the painting is another group of people.

The older man is Zechariah, and Elizabeth lies on the bed behind him.

Zechariah and Elizabeth are the parents of John the Baptist.

On the right side of the painting, an archway with a balcony offers a view of the landscape.

Artemisia Gentileschi was an Italian painter.

Her father, Orazio Gentileschi, was an important painter who taught her how to paint.

Artemisia Gentileschi focused on depicting important female figures in history and religion.

She ​​also painted numerous female nudes.

Artemisia Gentileschi travelled extensively during her lifetime.

She had the opportunity to learn and use techniques from the works of painters from various countries.

In Naples, Artemisia opened a workshop where she created most of her paintings.

Artemisia became one of the most important artists in the city.

This painting is part of a series of 6 scenes from the life of John the Baptist.

The paintings were commissioned to decorate the chapel dedicated to John the Baptist in the Buen Retiro Palace in Madrid.

Artemisia Gentileschi, Massimo Stanzione and Paolo Finoglia painted the series of paintings in Naples.

The painting of Artemisia Gentileschi was smaller than the other paintings in the series.

Some experts believe that another artist painted the lower and left parts of her painting because they have another type of brushstroke.