Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi transformed painting, its subject-matter, and its reception in early seventeenth-century Italy. This class focuses on the art of these two major Italian Baroque painters. Our discussions will explore their careers independently but will also examine critical themes that affect study of both of them, such as the relationship of life to art, picturing violence, adopting innovative artistic practices, self-representation and self-promotion, travel experiences, contemporary and posthumous reputations, and artistic legacies.