Mother twelve on my patchwork is Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-c1656), the first female artist to become a member of the Accademia di Arte del Disegno.
Her mother died when she was twelve. Five years later she was raped by Agostino Tassi, friend of her father and a popular artist at the time.
A long trial followed, which shamed Gentileschi. It is believed, at one point, midwives physically examined her in front of a judge. Tassi was freed. He was friends with the Pope.
She had one daughter, Prudentia, who was also an artist.
The square, showing a self-portrait, was cut from the Royal Collections Trust leaflet below.
You can see the whole piece here, or follow my progress on Instagram.
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