Lost painting by female artist goes on display at Windsor Castle

A painting found in storage has been identified as a rare work by a celebrated 17th Century female artist.

Artemisia Gentileschi was the greatest female painter of her generation and won acclaim during her lifetime, the Royal Collection Trust said.

The work - Susanna And The Elders - was stored for more than 100 years at Hampton Court Palace after being wrongly attributed to a French artist.

It has now been put on public display at Windsor Castle.

Anna Reynolds, Deputy Surveyor of The King's Pictures, said the painting revealed the discomfort of Susanna, a Biblical figure, while two men watch her bathing.

She said: "Artemisia was a strong, dynamic and exceptionally talented artist.

"[Her] female subjects - including Susanna - look at you from their canvases with the same determination to make their voices heard that Artemisia showed in the male-dominated art world of the 17th Century."

The Italian artist achieved fame despite the ordeal of a seven-month rape trial as a teenager, the Royal Collection said.

She was tortured to test her claim that she had been attacked, according to court documents.

The painting was discovered in storage when investigators re-examined inventories of the property of King Charles I.

The branding 'CR', standing for Carolus Rex, was found on the back of the canvas when it was undergoing conservation treatment, confirming that it had once been in the king's collection.

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