For neither her brilliance nor her defiance can change the startling and sobering fact that she belongs to her father and will belong to a husband… Artemisia Gentileschi dreams of one day becoming a great artist, to visualise and create something worthy of legend. Ever since I read Susan Vreeland’s book on Artemisia a few years ago, I have found both her life and her work fascinating. I stood in front of her Judith slaying Holofernes at the Uffizi last spring with my eyes wide open. So when I heard that my favourite author Elizabeth Fremantle who is known for her Tudor and Stuart books, would be publishing a novel about her, I was immediately interested. Talent is something Artemisia has in infinite supply versus even her father and surely to anyone with sense, she should choose her own destiny, but that simply is not possible. Zita, Francesco, Piero, Giovanni and Porzia are important people around Artemesia and all have a role to play. Tassi’s character is brilliantly portrayed, what a chameleon! Not everyone can see below the surface.

Briefly, Artemisia’s father is jealous of her talent as an artist and does all he can to keep her down. Following her mothers death in childbirth she is the only woman in the family, with three brothers. A married woman Zita lives with the family with her children whilst her husband is working away. Despite her own ambitions Artemisia is aware of her obligations to her family but her father goes too far… The book's afterword explains the author's personal reasons for writing the book, and the extent to which she has fictionalised the history ,which is helpful for the reader - I wish more writers in this genre did the same. Het fijne is ook dat Fremantle een andere insteek kiest dan Vreeland. Fremantle beschrijft de periode dat ze in Rome woonde voor haar huwelijk en dus ook de periode van haar verkrachting en proces. Het is de tijd dat ze haar eerste Judith en haar eerste Susanna creëert. Terwijl Vreeland de hele periode daarna uitwerkte, die hier dus niet aan bod kwam. A great female artist struggling for her voice and for justice is brought to powerful life. Brilliantly researched, rich in detail, grippingly written, Disobedient is the novel Elizabeth Fremantle was born to write' ELIZABETH BUCHAN All that wonderful characterisation aside, this novel is fast paced, exciting, horrifying, gruesome, infuriating and while I cannot admit to ever having a keen interest in the history of art, you guessed it I’m off down a carmine red rabbit hole.An unputdownable story of revenge, ambition, and how women overcome adversity. A heartbreaking and empowering read that places Artemisia as one of the greatest painters in history' COSTANZA CASATI, author of Clytemnestra I do enjoy a story that dusts off an important female figure from history to shine the light in our contemporary world. It’s such a skill to be able to take facts from history and weave them through fiction to bring that time to life.

At times I felt for Orazio (her father), trying to keep the family reputation intact so that his commissions didn’t dry up. Still grieving, I saw him as lost in a world that was moving on without him. However, he really did make me angry with the decisions he made and his other issues! I had to keep reminding myself of the time this family was alive and the boundaries they had to live within. It couldn’t have been easy trying to discipline such a free spirit as Artemesia! Until one day, he does the unthinkable and in one violent act, Artemisia sees her future threatened, and she may be powerless to do anything about it.

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In the eyes of her family, Artemisia should accept her fate. In the eyes of the law, she is the villain. The feminist element is strong and forceful in this book, downtrodden yet defiant Artemisia Gentileschi’s life and Fremantle’s interpretation of this feels congruent, heart clenching, and gut wrenching. Disobedient” proves the perfect title for the book, which rings the motif repeatedly, layering meaning onto the word like oils on canvas until it takes a dynamic shape and an entirely new image emerges. As she perfects her craft, a mysterious painting tutor enters her life. Tassi is a dashing figure, handsome and worldly, and for a moment he represents everything that a life of freedom might offer. But then the unthinkable happens. A violent act that threatens Artemisia’s entire world. In the eyes of her family, Artemisia must accept her fate. In the eyes of the law, she is the villain.