Gentileschi, Orazio (c. 1563–c. 1639)

Orazio Gentileschi's Moses Rescued from the River Nile, painted in 1630–33 when he was well into his sixties, shows some of the influences of his former mentor, Caravaggio. However, Gentileschi's figures are more stately and less natural, and their clothing is rather more carefully defined. It was a style that was much appreciated in England, where he spent the final 13 years of his life.

Italian painter. He was a follower and friend of Caravaggio, whose influence can be seen in the dramatic treatment of light and shade in his most noted picture, The Annunciation (1623). From 1626 he lived in London, painting for King Charles I.

He first studied with his brother, Aurelio, and as a youth went to Rome, where he worked for a succession of popes. He became the friend of Caravaggio, whose style greatly influenced him. In middle age he spent some time in Genoa and Paris and went to England at the invitation of the Duke of Buckingham when he was 60, remaining there for the rest of his life and being handsomely rewarded by Charles I.

His daughter was the painter Artemisia Gentileschi.