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I first heard of Letizia Battaglia during a recent trip to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. (Admission is free all day on Tuesdays!) They are currently featuring an exhibit of Italian contemporary art, and Ms. Battaglia was mentioned as inspiration for many of the artists. Best known for photographing Mafia victims’ corpses in Palermo, she is also described as a political activist and a feminist. Digging further, I couldn’t find any concrete actions or quotes to support the latter title. The most conclusive information I found was that she supported “women’s issues” during her political career. Intrigued, I started to investigate the Italian Feminist Movement.

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Last week, BBC News reported that Italy is set to open the world’s first transgender-only prison. With a building capacity of 30 inmates, the prison, located in the town of Pozzale, will house only transgender inmates, primarily convicted of prostitution and drug-related crimes.

From BBC News:

The BBC’s Duncan Kennedy, in Rome, says that until now transgender prisoners have been located in women’s prisons where they are often segregated for their own safety.

… Leading gay rights groups say they welcome the new prison as a dedicated space providing the psychological support transgender prisoners need.

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As the recent verdict in the trial of Amanda Knox has brought more attention to a post I wrote some time ago about media sensationalism in the coverage of the case, I wanted to follow up by covering another problematic aspect of the portrayal of Amanda Knox. Her defenders have repeatedly characterized her, in the media and in court, as totally naive, a young woman almost unbelievably pure. Raffaele Sollecito’s lawyer Giulia Bongiorno described her thus:

She views the world, and people, with the eyes of a child. She’s bursting with energy and has an approach to life that is spontaneous and reckless. Amanda is a weak and fragile girl. I think of her as the Amelie of Seattle.

Playing off this statement, a Guardian story used “she-devil” and “the Amelie of Seattle” to describe “the two faces of Amanda Knox” but you might be more familiar with the terms virgin (or Madonna) and whore. The defense and the prosecution fit neatly into these two sides of an old dichotomy. Read the rest of this entry →

The story of seventeenth-century painter Artemisia Gentileshchi has generated several books and one truly awful movie. Her art alone would be enough for her to be remembered, but her life has also drawn considerable interest. In particular, the story of her mistreatment at the hands of an older male artist and by the court that did eventually convict him sheds light on the way rape victims are regarded today.

Judith Slaying Holofernes, her best known work, shows the remarkable vision and skill that earned her admission into the Accademia di Arte del Disegno in Florence. What it does not show is why she was the first woman admitted. Even with all her remarkable talent, she could not have achieved this without the support of her father, Orazio Gentileschi, who introduced her along with her less-talented brothers to painting in his workshop and secured tutors for her when, as a teen, she was denied entry to the all-male art academies (though it was one such tutor who would cause Artemisia’s most painful experience).

This painting, created at a time when few women dared attempt to represent historical or Biblical scenes, also illustrates the reason why Artemisia is today considered one of the most accomplished artists of the generation influenced by Caravaggio. Compare her version (above) with his: Read the rest of this entry →

So. Silvio Berlusconi. I am pissed at this guy. I imagine readers have been following the coverage of his serial misogony as it comes to light.

I am particularly upset about his statement to Chi Magazine, regarding accusations he paid a woman to sleep at his residence.

“Naturally, no, I have never understood what satisfaction there is if not in the pleasure of conquest.”

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