“I’ll show you what a woman can do.”

A young Renaissance woman artist is attacked by her art teacher. He claimed that she was lying. For most, this would be the end of a career and a black mark left on their reputation for the rest of their lives. Not in this case. Artemisia Gentileschi is not a woman who will stand by and let men control her or her art. In the 21st century, she is seen as an artistic genius, but in her time, she was seen as an odd woman who refused to follow the rules. Artemisia’s harrowing tale of turning tragedy into inspiration for her art, showing what a woman could do, is masterfully told in Elizabeth Fremantle’s latest novel, “Disobedient.”

This is the second novel that I have read by Elizabeth Fremantle, the first being “Queen’s Gambit.” I was thoroughly enthralled by “Queen’s Gambit,” so when I heard she wrote a new novel about Artemisia Gentileschi, I knew I wanted to read it. Before I read this novel, I did not know much about Artemisia’s story, so I was excited to learn about her struggles and triumphs.

Rome in 1611 was not a kind place for a female artist. Artemisia is the eldest daughter of Orazio Gentileschi, an artist himself. Her mother died when she was but a child and after her death, her father has become an abusive drunkard. He controls his family through fear, but Artemisia is not afraid to stand up for her siblings and her artworks, no matter the consequences. To keep his headstrong daughter in line, Orazio turns to Zita to watch over her, but Zita is not the virtuous woman that Orazio believes she is as she is a thief. Artemisia has only one friend in the world who seems to understand her, the apprentice Piero, someone who truly cares for her and wants to see her talents develop, but it is conflicted when it comes to his feelings towards other men. Finally, there is the art teacher, Tassi, who may seem like a kind soul who simply wants to teach Artemisia how to paint, but he has darker plans in mind.

Everything takes a dramatic turn for the worse when Zita leaves Artemisia alone with Tassi and he attacks her. Instead of becoming timid and accepting the marriage proposal, Tassi presents her soon after the incident, Artemisia digs into her art and paints her hatred and pain into her most famous work, Judith Slaying Holofernes. The piece is full of emotions in a bloody scene that seems rather inappropriate for a woman artist during the Renaissance, but Artemisia does not care about the criticism. She is showing the world exactly what a woman can do, and her next step, taking Tassi to court, will define her strength and determination to fight for what she believes is right. Artemisia is a survivor who thrived under unimaginable circumstances.

This book left such an impact on me. I was heartbroken, angry, and devastated for Artemisia as the events unfolded. By the end, I had to catch my breath and realize that it was a fictional retelling of her life. It is a story that will stay with me for a long time and it makes me want to study Artemisia’s life and times. If you want a heartbreaking tale full of sorrow and strength set during the Italian Renaissance, you must check out “Disobedient” by Elizabeth Fremantle.