National Gallery acquires Artemisia Gentileschi's self-portrait

The National Gallery in London has acquired Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria', marking the first work by the Baroque painter to enter a UK public collection. The painting appeared unexpectedly in Paris in December 2017, was restored, and displayed in the museum's Central Hall by Christmas 2018, hailed as 'A Christmas present for the Nation'. Gentileschi worked in London in 1639 at the court of Charles I alongside her father Orazio. She was the first woman admitted to the Accademia del Disegno in Florence and admired across Spain, Italy, and England. Starting in March, the painting will tour non-museum venues including the Glasgow Women's Library, a school, and possibly a women's prison. In 2020, it will feature in the National Gallery's first-ever solo exhibition dedicated to Gentileschi in the UK. The last work by an old master female painter acquired by the gallery was a flower piece by Rachel Ruysch in 1974. The acquisition was announced by Gabriele Finaldi.