Artemisia Gentileschi, Self-Portrait as a Martyr, Oil on Panel, ca. 1615, Private Collection (New York-Saint Louis)

Eva Menzio, Artemisia Gentileschi Lettere precedute da Atti di un processo per stupro (Milano: Edizioni delle Donne, 1981; reprinted Carte d'Aristi, 55; Milano:  Abscondita, 2004; translated into French by Marie-Anne Toledano, Actes d'un procĂ©s pour viol en 1612 suivis des lettres de Artemisia Gentileschi Paris: des femmes, 1983)

 Artemisia Gentileschi and

Agostino Tassi in Court

May 14, 1612

Roma, Archivio di Stato, Tribunale Criminale del Governatore di Roma, processo 7, busta 104, pp. 1-340

"Artemsia is summoned and says:  "I say thus and all that I have said is the truth and if it were not the truth I would not have said it."  Replicante ipsa adducta et dicente: Io dico così che tutto quello che ho detto la verità et se non fosse la verità non l'haverei detta.

"Artemsia is asked whether she is prepared to ratify her testimony and all its contents with torture."  Interrogata dicta adducta an sit parata etiam in tormentis ratficare dictum suum examen et depositionem et omnia in ea contenta. //

(fol. 125) "She responds:  'Sirs, yes, I am ready to confirm all in torture'."Respondit: Signor sìche son pronta anco a confirmare nelli tormenti il mio essamine et dove bisognarà.

Elizabeth S. Cohen, "The Trial of Artemisia Gentileschi: A Rape as History," Sixteenth Century Journal  31 (2000) 47-75 at 58-59: "When necessary, the magistrates sorted out conflicting testimonies .  .  . by torture.  Modern readers are shocked that Artemsia, the victim, underwent <the> ordeal.  Yet, in the logic of early modern judicial practice, this resort made sense; indeed officials sympathetic to the Gentileschis' claims adopted torture to strengthen their case."