Anna Reynolds

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.

Source of news: bbc.com