Washington, D.C. United States

Born from years of restoration work in Italy, Artemisia Gold is dedicated to reviving the legacy of long-forgotten artists, with a focus on female artists whose contributions have been obscured or forgotten for centuries. Through research, restoration, and educational programs, the organization brings lost masterpieces and the stories behind them back into public view. It is our goal to ensure that these paintings will be visible and their authors recognized after this work.

“I am delighted to announce this important step for Artemisia Gold, Inc., which allows us to expand our mission across America, Europe, and the UK. Throughout history, many artists have faced obstacles that led to their work being forgotten, misattributed, or overlooked. Our role is to uncover this vital, forgotten artistic heritage and ensure these artists’ true stories are finally told.”
— Jane Adams, Founder and President, Artemisia Gold

Over the past five years, Artemisia Gold has made significant strides, including publishing an in-depth analytical study of Artemisia Gentileschi’s Madonna and Child in collaboration with the Galleria Spada in Rome, and restoring another Gentileschi masterpiece, Sinite Parvulos Venire (Let the Children Come to Me), from the Church of San Carlo al Corso, Rome. This project was directed by Adams and made possible by the generous donation of fellow Board Member Mark Smith. These milestones reflect Artemisia’s Gold’s dedication to preserving and illuminating important works of art for a global audience.

In 2024, to celebrate the 500th birthday of Florence’s first recognized female artist, Suor Plautilla Nelli, Artemisia Gold co-sponsored and directed the restoration of two of her works: the monumental altarpiece Madonna of the Rosary in the Church of San Giuseppe and Santa Lucia in Montaione, and the panel Mother and Child with Saint Dominique, Saint Catherine, and Saint Agnes from a private Florentine collection. A Dominican nun and largely self-taught Renaissance painter, Nelli created exceptional art that was admired by her contemporaries. She also ran a thriving workshop at her convent overseeing the production of religious paintings and sculptures by her sister nuns. Her legacy, long overlooked, has gained increased recognition thanks to the rediscovery and restoration of her paintings.

Looking Ahead: Restoration Projects for 2026

Artemisia Gold is embarking on its most ambitious chapter to date, launching two significant restoration projects that continue its mission to bring historically important works and the women who created them back into the light. The first, to be announced imminently, centers on a remarkable altarpiece by Plautilla Bricci, the pioneering 17th-century painter and Rome’s first female architect.

Adams believes American audiences, known for their deep appreciation of art and cultural history, will be inspired to rediscover these artists, celebrate their achievements, and help restore long-overlooked masterpieces to public view.

Coming Soon

The organization will soon announce a new restoration project and launch an International Art Council program with distinguished honorary chairs Mary Garrard, Catherine Turrill-Lupi, Catherine Loewe, and Sian Walters.

American art collectors, Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt, have also agreed to support the program. Bennett and Schmidt, who collect only works by women painters, are the founders of The Bennett Prize for Women Figurative Realist Painters and are the namesakes of the newly opened Bennett Schmidt Pavilion at the Muskegon Museum of Art in Muskegon, Michigan. Bennett and Schmidt are also committed to the conservation and restoration of works by Renaissance and Baroque painters. Accordingly, their collection contains paintings attributed to Plautilla Nelli, Artemisia Gentileschi and Diana de Rosa as well as works by contemporary women painters.