Artemisia Gentileschi may just be the hottest artist of the age. “Rediscovered” in the 1970s, Gentileschi’s life and works have since become the subject of much fervent art historical discourse, and Gentileschi herself has become the poster child for much contemporary feminist art theory. However, as Mieke Bal asserts in “The Artemisia Files,” Gentileschi’s sensationalized life risks overshadowing her achievements as an artist. Offering a fresh new perspective on the renowned Baroque painter, Bal contests that Gentileschi deserves a place in the art historical canon – not merely as a feminist icon, but as a highly accomplished painter in her own right.