Elisabetta Sirani

Elisabetta Sirani  was born in Bologna in 1638, a city well known for being progressive concerning women's rights, and was running a workshop alone and was an independent painter by the age of 19. Not only did she support herself and her family, she also taught and fostered the talent of dozens of other women artists, including her two younger sisters. She was well-known in her time, especially for her ability to quickly paint works, and often painted large pieces in front of large and adoring crowds of people. Elisabetta painted a variety of subjects, self-portraits and scenes from mythology, but some of her most famous works were of the Holy Family and the Virgin and Child.
 Below is one such work, "Virgin and Child" painted in 1663, where she portrays Mary in the style of the Bologna peasant women. She also often portrayed strong women in her works, below is her work "Judith with the head of Holofernes" and one portraying Timoclea of Thebes. Who it is said that after being raped by invading Thracian's in Thebes, Timoclea tricked the Thracian captian and then pushed him into a well.

http://www.bernheimer.com/node/1892
http://www.nmwa.org/explore/artist-profiles/elisabetta-sirani
http://art.thewalters.org/detail/9874/judith-with-the-head-of-holofernes/
http://womeninthearts.wordpress.com/2009/12/23/artist-spotlight-elisabetta-sirani/