Artemisia Gentileschi's 17th-century painting 'Lucretia' sold for €1.88 million ($2 million) at Dorotheum's Old Master sale in Vienna, more than double its high estimate. The work, previously unseen in public, was acquired by an Australian collection, continuing a trend of strong auction results for the Baroque artist.
Gentileschi's market surge reflects her modern resonance as a symbol of female empowerment and resilience. Her dramatic depictions of women and themes of sexual violence, informed by her own traumatic experience of rape and a public trial, align powerfully with contemporary movements like #MeToo. The sale price neared her auction record, underscoring her rising stature from a historically overlooked female Old Master to a highly sought-after artist whose limited body of work commands significant prices.