A previously unknown work by famed 17th century Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi, which survived the Beirut port blast in 2020, will go on display following a three-year conservation.
Restored by the J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, Hercules and Omphale is part of a new exhibition titled Artemisia’s Strong Women: Rescuing a Masterpiece, which opens on Tuesday, and celebrates Gentileschi's skill in portraying strong women.
“Arguably the most celebrated female artist of 17th-century Italy, the rediscovery of Gentileschi’s Hercules and Omphale in Beirut was a momentous occasion for art historians around the world,” the museum said.
The painting, the existence of which was previously unknown, was found among the rubble in Beirut's famed Sursock Palace following the blast. One of the city's most well-known historical landmarks, the palace was originally completed in 1860 by Moussa Sursock, and the grand residence has served as the home for the Sursock family, one of Beirut's most important families, for more than 150 years.
The palace is located next to the Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock Museum, Beirut’s largest art museum, donated by the family in 1951 to the city of Beirut. The museum reopened in 2023 after extensive renovations following the blast.
Severely damaged with holes and tears caused by glass, plaster and other debris, Hercules and Omphale was sent to the Getty Museum in 2022 for conservation treatment.
“In my over 30-year career as a paintings conservator, this is some of the worst damage I have ever witnessed and was one of the most challenging yet rewarding projects I’ve had the pleasure to work on,” said Ulrich Birkmaier, senior conservator of paintings at the Getty Museum.
“It was sort of like assembling a massive puzzle – little by little the painting came back to life. X-ray analysis not only served to visualise some of the changes Artemisia made during the painting process, but it also aided in the visual reconstruction of some details that were lost in the explosion when glass and debris shattered multiple areas of the painting.”
Known for painting scenes from ancient history, classical mythology and the Bible, Gentileschi’s Hercules and Omphale depicts the Greek myth of Hercules enslaved by Omphale, the Queen of Lydia, who forces him to do women’s work as punishment for accidentally killing Iphitus.
Hercules is portrayed holding a spindle of wool in the centre while Omphale wears his famed Nemean lion skin and holds his wooden club. The two gaze lovingly at each other as Cupid watches. The painting’s theme inspired 17th-century writers and artists to explore issues of gender and power, the Getty Museum said.
Alongside Hercules and Omphale, other paintings presented in Artemisia’s Strong Women include Bathsheba and David, Susanna and the Elders, Self-Portrait as a Martyr and Lucretia.
Hercules and Omphale is believed to have been painted in 1630s Naples, where Artemisia relocated in 1630 and lived for the rest of her life.
"This final segment of her career has been often overlooked and considered a moment of decline in Gentileschi’s creative force,” said Davide Gasparotto, senior curator of paintings at the Getty Museum. “On the contrary, Artemisia responded with great business acumen to the challenges of the very competitive Neapolitan environment, adopting a successful branding strategy and a highly innovative workshop practice, which allowed her to broaden her production in terms of scale, ambition and subject matter.”
Following the Getty Museum exhibition, Hercules and Omphale will travel to the Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio, where it will be on display until May 30, 2026. It will then return to the Getty Museum before returning to Sursock Palace.
Unesco spearheaded the palace's restoration as well as the Nicolas Ibrahim Sursock Museum along with many other cultural heritage sites in Beirut.
“Situated in the heart of Beirut, Sursock Palace is a feat of Lebanese architecture, and its survival represents the strength of the community in Beirut as the city continues to rebuild,” said Audrey Azoulay, Unesco Director-General. “We are glad Hercules and Omphale found a temporary home in Los Angeles while the Sursock Palace is restored.”
Artemisia’s Strong Women: Rescuing a Masterpiece is running at the J Paul Getty Museum until October 1
