CMA’s New Exhibit 

Discover “Hercules and Omphale” recontextualized at CMA 

By Morgan Mugwira 

Join the Columbus Museum of Art in celebration of a renowned 17th-century artist in its new exhibit, “Artemisia Gentileschi: Naples to Beirut.” This exhibit will display the rediscovered and restored masterpiece “Hercules and Omphale” as well as pieces from the artist’s Neapolitan contemporaries and early career. 

“This exhibition offers our visitors an unprecedented opportunity to not only see Artemisia Gentileschi at a pivotal moment in her career but also come face to face with one of the most important recent discoveries of her work,” says Daniel Marcus, curator of collections and exhibitions. “To see Hercules and Omphale and Bathsheba paired here in Columbus, in conversation with Lucretia and the work of her peers, is to experience the full power and ambition of Artemisia’s artistry.” 

In addition to viewing Gentileschi’s work, this exhibit offers museum goers an opportunity to see the restored “Hercules and Omphale” recontextualized through a digital interactive feature. This digital interactive feature will allow viewers to see other artists of the era take on this myth. 

This exhibit will also display the work of artist Gregory Buchakjian, who identified the painting “Hercules and Omphale” after the Beirut Sursock Palace explosion in 2020. Following the incident, the artist created an installation arranging 25 photographs of the damaged art to make a one-to-one scale image of one of Gentileschi’s works.  Buchakjian has reformatted his 2021 creation into a photographic light box that will be available to view at this exhibit.    

“Artemisia Gentileschi: Naples to Beirut will open from October 31, 2025, and will be on view until May 31, 2026. For more information on the Columbus Museum of Art, visit its website.