Among the many losses littering the globe during the 2020 pandemic was the postponement of the National Gallery in London's highly anticipated exhibition “Artemisia,” dedicated to the work of seventeenth-century Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Billed as the “first major exhibition of Artemisia's work in the UK,” the National Gallery promised to display her “best-known paintings” as well as “recently discovered personal letters.” Potential visitors were invited to “Follow in Artemisia's footsteps from Rome to Florence, Venice, Naples and London. Hear her voice from her letters, and see the world through her eyes” (National Gallery).

Opening this exhibition on schedule eventually became impossible, much to the dismay of those eagerly awaiting the opportunity to come face to face with the works of this renowned though also under-recognized artist, whose paintings and life story have captivated many people.

The widespread COVID-19 closures thwarted many Artemisia-related events, but simultaneously enabled others, emphasizing the relevance of this artist's life and work to our present circumstances. There are many scholarly books and articles devoted to Artemisia, novels, films, a graphic novel, and several plays. This essay will address three of the current plays being presented about her life and works, two of which are being promoted electronically during this time of social distancing. One, Breach Theatre's highly regarded production of It's True, It's True, It's True, was going to be livestreamed into the National Gallery in April 2020 as part of their “Artemisia” exhibition programming. Instead, with the support of London's Barbican Theatre, which had planned to host the play earlier that month, this drama was made freely available to the public through the Internet for an entire month.