Agostino Tassi

Agostino Tassi (born Agostino Buonamici; bapt. 3 August 1578 – January 1644) was an Italian landscape and seascape painter who was convicted of raping Artemisia Gentileschi in 1612.

Because he aspired to nobility, he modified the details of his early life. Though he was born in Perugia, he claimed to have been born in Rome. His family name was Buonamici, but Agostino adopted the surname Tassi to give substance to his story that he was adopted by the Marchese Tassi. He was actually the son of a furrier named Domenico.

Tassi may have worked for a time in Livorno, as well as in Florence. Among his followers or pupils in Livorno is thought to be Pietro Ciafferi. During his sojourn in Florence it is believed that he was made a galley slave in the Grand Duke's convict galleys for some unspecified crime. However, he was allowed to move about freely on the ship instead of pulling on an oar. More importantly, he was able to paint and draw on the galley, and was thus provided with ample material from which to execute his seascapes and images of ports, ships, and fishing scenes.