Artemisia (New ed)

First published in 1953, Artemisia immediately established itself as a classic.

At the centre of the book is Artemisia Gentileschi, a painter Influenced by Michelangelo and Caravaggio.

A rising star in 17th-century Naples, Artemisia realises that success has been bought at too high a price - she has failed as a woman, a wife and a mother.

The closer the author, Anna Banti, gets to her subject, the more she is forced to reflect on the condition of women today and on her own life in German-occupied Italy.

Anna Banti's Artemisia is an important reflection on art, femininity and the creative experience.