A Playlist to Channel Your Inner Strong Woman
Inspired by the art and life of Artemisia Gentileschi, one of art history's most formidable women
Lucretia, about 1627, Artemisia Gentileschi. Oil on canvas, 36 ½ x 28 5/8 in. Getty Museum, 2021.14
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Being a strong woman is sometimes about feeling mighty and powerful—but not always.
Strength can also mean crying at 3am, working long hours, or simply saying, “No, I’m not OK.”
Inspired by themes of sacrifice, martyrdom, and rage, the art of Artemisia Gentileschi and Getty’s exhibition Artemisia’s Strong Women: Rescuing a Masterpiece reveal that strength can also look like survival and the reversal of stereotypical gender roles.
As a little audio accessory to listen to while viewing the galleries or scrolling through the art on the online exhibition page, this playlist offers a taste of timeless femininity. Ranging from the 1960s to 2000s, these songs may help you channel your inner strong woman.
Learn more about why we chose a few of these songs; then, check out the entire playlist.
Self-Portrait as a Female Martyr, about 1613-14, Artemisia Gentileschi. Oil on panel. Private collection, United States
Photo: Bridgeman Images
Lana Del Rey, “Young and Beautiful”
Lana Del Rey’s lyric, “Will you still love me when I got nothing but my aching soul?” perfectly captures Gentileschi’s Self-Portrait as a Female Martyr, featured in the exhibition. When Gentileschi went to trial against the man who raped her, her reputation was tarnished—and imagine the humiliation she must have felt. Would others look at her the same way after learning about what happened to her?
TLC, “No Scrubs”
In “No Scrubs,” TLC’s message is clear. Knowing your worth, self respect, and not settling for less than you deserve is key for any relationship. As the song says, “A scrub is a guy that think he’s fly,” but in reality, that guy is all talk! In the 1990s, when “No Scrubs” was released, the “girl power” trend challenged stereotypes of a woman’s role in relationships.
Eurythmics featuring Aretha Franklin, “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves”
Aside from being a head banger, this song speaks to Gentileschi’s legacy as one of the most successful artists of all time. In 17th-century Italy, she was a showstopper in a heavily male-dominated art world, rode on her own coattails, and did the unthinkable…she painted women as subjects of power. How provocative!
Artemisia Gentileschi’s Hercules and Omphale nearly fully restored by Getty’s senior conservator of paintings Ulrich Birkmaier. Hercules and Omphale, about 1635–37. Artemisia Gentileschi (Italian, 1593-1654). Oil on canvas. 78 3/4 × 98 7/16 in (200 × 250 cm). Sursock Palace Collections, Beirut, Lebanon. © 2025 J. Paul Getty Trust
Destiny’s Child, “Survivor”
Sometimes, the script writes itself. Gentileschi’s Hercules and Omphale literally survived the devastating 2020 Beirut explosion. But besides that, the themes of reversed gender roles in this painting are striking. In the Greek myth, the great hero Hercules is remanded as a slave to Omphale, the Queen of Lydia, as punishment for having inadvertently killed a man. Omphale triumphantly wears Hercules’s usual attributes: the skin of the Nemean lion and an olive-wood club.
Don’t miss Artemisia’s Strong Women: Rescuing a Masterpiece, on view at the Getty Center until September 14, 2025. Until then, enjoy these tunes:
