The J. Paul Getty Museum unveils Artemisia Gentileschi's long-lost painting *Hercules and Omphale* (ca. 1635–37) after three years of restoration. The work was nearly destroyed in the August 2020 Beirut port explosion, which caused severe damage to the Sursock Palace where it was housed. Senior conservator Ulrich Birkmaier led the delicate process of reassembling the canvas, removing glass shards and debris, and restoring the original colors.
This restoration matters because it recovers a major work from Gentileschi's overlooked Neapolitan period, challenging the narrative of decline in her later career. The painting's rediscovery also highlights the devastating cultural toll of the Beirut blast, which damaged numerous heritage sites. The Getty's senior curator Davide Gasparotto confirms the work as autograph and identifies a second Gentileschi, *Penitent Magdalene*, from the same period, expanding the artist's known oeuvre.