Describe the characteristics of the Interpretations of Gentileschi's work in Susanna and the Elders (Artemisia Gentileschi, Pommersfelden)'s Description.
Gentileschi's painting has been compared to that of other artists who used the same subject, but were male.  Gentileschi's Susanna sits uncomfortably, a twist to her body showing her distress, unlike many depictions that fail to reveal any discomfort. A common comparison is made with Annibale Carracci’s version of Susanna and the Elders. Gentileschi's Susanna is both uncomfortable and more feminine than Carracci's Susanna, whose body appears more anatomically masculine yet is portrayed in a more eroticized position, as if receptive to the two elders' attention. Rather than depicting the typical body type of previous paintings of Susanna, Gentileschi chose a more Classical style for Susanna's body, which elevates her nudity in a more heroic sense. The setting of this scene in a stone enclosure further represents a departure from the typical garden setting used in previous depictions by other artists. Gentileschi's vertical composition also spreads the two elders at the top as a dark element hovering over the scene, creating a feeling of malevolent pressure imposed upon Susanna.Gentileschi painted this scene at least twice more during her lifetime. As this version is the earliest, it has been presumed by Roberto Contini, Germaine Greer, Susanna Stolzenwald, and Mary D. Garrard that she painted with her father's guidance. Art historians Roberto Longhi and Andrea Emiliani questioned how Gentileschi could paint a convincing female nude at such a young age. They speculated whether she had studied female anatomy or used a model of her father's, as his work studio was in the family home. However, no other artist had explored the psychological dimension of this Biblical story before, suggesting that Gentileschi's father, a traditionally trained artist, would have had no hand in influencing the concept of the young artist's painting. Artemisia's naturalistic rendering of the female form stands in contrast to her father's style, however the adjustments revealed by x-rays may suggest that Orazio's guidance was focused on compositional arrangement rather than depiction.
Annibale Carracci Gentileschi Susanna Art historians Mary D. Garrard nudity in a more heroic sense Classical style