Artemisia Gentileschi: Naples to Beirut places Bathsheba, a key work in CMA’s European collection, in dialogue with another important work from the artist’s Neapolitan period, Hercules and Omphale (about 1635–37). Long considered lost, Hercules and Omphale resurfaced in Beirut, Lebanon, after a major explosion devastated much of the city on August 10, 2020. The exhibition offers a behind-the-scenes view of the Getty’s conservation of Hercules and Omphale, while also exploring the wider history of its mythological subject. As a tribute to the painting’s city of origin, Naples to Beirut also features a wall installation by Lebanese artist and art historian Gregory Buchakjian, whose identification of Hercules and Omphale in the aftermath of the 2020 explosion has brought this remarkable work to light—now fully restored.
Work on the exhibition included newly designed and built touchscreen cases, graphic identity. Lead the design, concepting, production, and fabrication of Buchakjian’s lightbox
Artemisia Gentileschi: Naples to Beirut is curated by Daniel Marcus, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions.
Photography by: Luke Stettner