Next (Aretmisia caught by the Mother Superior and title credits) . We now understand retrospectively the opening title sequence focusing on one of Artemisia's eyeballs: she was drawing herself by candlelight. This scene, starting with the voice-over description of a body, is repeated later when Artemisia draws porn by candlelight and again when she finishes painting "Judith and Holofernes" by candlelight, adding the final touches to the blood. Like the Caravaggio "Judith," Artemisia's is seen in close ups. Though the film has been derided for showing Artemisia painting herself early in the film (it is taken to be a late work), the film clearly ignores chronology in order to narrate a progression from this opening scene of self-examination to her first painting (in her own make shift studio) of herself (since she has no models to paint). The progression is not straightforward, however, since Artemisia has already begun drawing male nudes. Also, the film offers different chronologies, or narratives. The closing credits chart a progression, via fragments, from Susanna's sexual harassment by the two elders to Judith and her maid servant carrying Holofernes' head. The film both offers a progression narrative and calls the notion of artistic progession into qestion.
