Given the commonplace of killing chickens, goats and lambs in both Renaissance Italy and ancient Israel, it was a good choice to portray the assassins with businesslike "time to make the donuts" facial expressions. However, Caravaggio, with a self-mutilation fetish second only to Mishima's, really has no equal.

Seattle author Joy McCullough has also covered Gentileschi's life - in a play entitled, "Blood, Water, Paint," premiered by Live Girls! Theatre in 2015, and in a book by the same title.

This sounds like an amazing exhibit. With a recommendation like that, how can I not save it to my events calendar?

Good Lord - look at that!

Thanks Jasmyne

I saw it. A great exhibition!

Those sheets are ruined.

Gentileschi created two copies of this; I saw the other a few weeks ago at the Uffuzi in Florence. They actually have an entire room devoted to paintings of beheadings.