Explore the Historical Context about the History of this artwork, Mary Magdalene (Artemisia Gentileschi).
Artemisia Gentileschi was born  and grew up in Rome in 1593, she is considered one of the most important painters of the Baroque and seventeenth century's styles, being credited for surpassing her artist father, Orazio Gentileschi in talent. She may have met Caravaggio when she was a child, whose use of light and shadow she derived her style from. Their interactions likely occurred before 1606, because Caravaggio was acquaintances with Artemisia's father, Orazio Gentileschi, and Caravaggio would flee Rome that same year. Though Gentileschi was not allowed to travel freely due to her gender and regard for her well-being, she had access to paintings by Caravaggio later in life through her local church, Santa Maria del Popolo, where she could view the Crucifixion of St. Peter and Conversion on the Way to Damascus. Because Artemisia did not create this form of rendering herself, she is considered an adopter of a style rather than a trend setter within the Baroque style.			
			
		
		
			
			
		
From the years 1614 to 1620, Gentileschi went through her Florentine period: She became a member of the Accademia del Disegno in 1616. When in Florence, Gentileschi had begun using the last name "Lomi." The Penitent Magdalene was signed as “Artemisia Lomi,” rather than "Artemisia Gentileschi" because she was in Florence at the time. She may have chosen to use the name Lomi  over her actual last name, Gentileschi, and over her husband's last name, Stiattesi, because Lomi was the last name of Aurelio Lomi, an artist who had more name recognition than either of her other options. In 1620, Gentileschi returned to the town where her father Orazio lived, Genoa, making her stay at the academy between the years 1616 and 1620, when the Penitent Magdalene was painted. A similar work was created by Artemisia in the years 1620-1622, Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy. Other works from Gentileschi's Florentine period include: Female Martyr, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and the Jael and Sisera in the same period in which the Penitent Magdalen was created. 
The inclusion of women in workshops and academies was not common practice at this time. Despite this, and being illiterate, Gentileschi learned to read, and maintained correspondences with the like of Don Antonio Ruffo, Cassiano dal Pozzo, Duke Francesco I d’Este and Galileo Galilei. Her letters are mostly addressed to patrons of remarkable social standing, as she ran her own successful workshop.
Artemisia Gentileschi Cassiano dal Pozzo Mary Magdalene Orazio Gentileschi Santa Maria del Popolo Crucifixion of St. Peter Duke Francesco I d’Este Florence Conversion on the Way to Damascus Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy Crucifix Don Antonio Ruffo Baroque Antonio Ruffo Caravaggio Jael and Sisera Saint Catherine of Alexandria Galileo Galilei