The first female Renaissance artist to achieve widespread acclaim during her lifetime was Sofonisba Anguissola. She could paint sophisticated, lifelike portraits that were aesthetically pleasing and intellectually stimulating. She marketed and defined herself using self-portraits and later applied this talent to producing official portraits of the Spanish royal family that promoted their power. She was called a miracle of nature, and her creations were called miracles of art. Ironically, these descriptions made her stand out as an odd anomaly while propelling her to fame. She was also praised for being virtuous and beautiful, an accomplished musician, a charming dancer, and a superb conversationalist—all of which won over the Spanish and Italian nobility and did not challenge cultural expectations of what women could and could not do. She overcame all odds and rose to fame as one of the most well-known portraitists of her time by using cultural limitations to her advantage. (The Art Story, n.d.)

Early Years

The oldest of seven kids, Sofonisba Anguissola, was born into a noble family. Six daughters and one boy made up the Anguissola family, but their father, Amilcare Aguissola, ensured every child received an equal education. All elite children were expected to receive a proper education during the Renaissance. Languages, art, and music were frequently included in this education. However, Sofonisba Anguissola's level of artistic education was still much higher than was typical for most children of noble families. While having an education in the arts was expected of nobility, having a career in the arts was not. Amilcare Amguissola's decision to send his two eldest daughters to study under the renowned local painter Bernardino Campi in 1546 was therefore viewed as radical. 

Sofonisba Anguissola developed a great deal of skill and appreciation for painting through her early training and the influence of her father. Sofonisba Anguissola completed her apprenticeship with Campi for several years before continuing her studies with the renowned Cremonese painter Bernardino Gatti. Even Michelangelo was a fan of Sofonisba Anguissola's artwork. Michelangelo advised and criticized Anguissola's work in numerous letters he exchanged with her. His influence aided her ability to develop her skills further. Anguissola continued to teach her other sisters how to paint as she grew older and began to make a living from her art. (2022)

Mature Period

The more Sofonisba Anguissola painted, the more proficient she became. By 1559, when she was 27 years old and a well-known female Renaissance painter, she had been invited to Madrid and hired to depict Philip II's court. King Philip requested Sofonisba Anguissola to serve as Queen Elisabeth of Valois's lady-in-waiting. Sofonisba painted the queen, and the two women grew close. Sadly, a fire in the 17th century destroyed many of the paintings she created during this time. Sofonisba Anguissola lived in Madrid for a long time before getting married to Fabrizio de Moncada in 1571, with a dowry provided by the King. However, De Moncada passed away in 1579, leaving Anguissola, then 47, a widow. (2022)   

Late Period

Then, perhaps to be closer to her family, the artist decided to return to northern Italy. Anguissola fell in love with the ship's captain, Orazio Lomellino, during the boat trip up the Italian coast. Even though he was a nobleman, his family opposed the union; they even asked Florence's duke, Francesco I de' Medici, to step in. However, King Philip blessed the marriage by giving her another year's rent. 

In Genoa, the artist acted as his representative and suggested works of art and artists for his new palace at El Escorial. Anguissola spent 35 years of her life in Genoa, where she remained well-known. The wealthy merchant families of the city were erecting magnificent palaces and commissioning works of art. She hosted intellectual get-togethers and made friends with upcoming artists like Bernardo Castello and Luca Cambiaso. She created religious works with dramatic lighting effects and new portraits of the grown infantas who came to see her in Savoy and Vienna on their way to meet their husbands. 

Anguissola and Orazio relocated to Palermo in 1615, where he did most of his business. Like in Genoa, she was consulted by many artists. Due to her progressive blindness, she could not paint in her later years. Nevertheless, she developed into a fantastic arts patron, providing funding and support for up-and-coming artists. Anthony van Dyck, a Dutch painter, paid Anguissola a visit in 1624, the year before she passed away. Despite being only 24, he was a star in the art world. He depicted her as a 92-year-old woman with a pale forehead, a downturned mouth, and watery eyes in a tender, private portrait. Van Dyck asserted that Anguissola was still very intelligent despite her advanced age, and her eyesight had deteriorated. Van Dyck later remarked that this conversation taught him more about painting than anything else in his life. They discussed the "true principles" of painting as he drew her. (The Art Story, n.d.) 

The Female Artist Experience

Even though Sofonisba received much more support and encouragement than the average woman of her time, her social standing prevented her from overcoming the limitations imposed by her sex. She could not complete the intricate multi-figure compositions necessary for large-scale religious or historical paintings without the ability to study anatomy or draw from life (it was considered improper for a lady to view nudity). Instead, she looked into the potential for a novel portraiture approach with casually posed subjects. (Sofonisba Anguissola - New World Encyclopedia, n.d.)

The Legacy of Sofonisba Anguissola

Sofonisba Anguissola's creations were praised by Giorgio Vasari, a painter and the author of Lives of the Artists in the 16th century. Vasari claimed that she has worked harder and with more grace on the challenges of design than any other woman of our time, and she has not only succeeded in drawing, coloring, and copying from nature and producing excellent copies of other people's works, but she has also completed some very desirable and lovely solo paintings. (Kilroy-Ewbank, 2022) 

The success of Anguissola may have influenced more women artists than before, such as Lavinia Fontana and Artemisia Gentileschi. They defied the social norms of female domesticity and seclusion in the home. Her reputation declined after her death, possibly due to her gender, until Western feminists rediscovered her in the 1970s. Although it would be incorrect to call Anguissola a feminist, her success showed that her talent, output, and reputation were on par with or even better than those of other artists. Anguissola has given researchers and artists a way to reevaluate how we understand the time she lived in as more information about her life and work has come to light. (The Art Story, n.d.)

References

The Art Story. (n.d.). www.theartstory.org. Retrieved August 9, 2022, from https://www.theartstory.org/artist/anguissola-sofonisba/

Art in context. (2022, March 31). artincontext.org. artincontext.org. https://artincontext.org/sofonisba-anguissola

Sofonisba Anguissola - New World Encyclopedia. (n.d.). www.newworldencyclopedia.org. Retrieved August 9, 2022, from https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Sofonisba_Anguissola

Kilroy-Ewbank, Dr. L. (2022, April 6). Sofonisba Anguissola – Smarthistory. smarthistory.org. https://smarthistory.org/sofonisba-anguissola/ 

Self Portrait

Portrait of Joanna of Austria, Princess of Portugal (1550s)

Portrait of a man with his daughter

Portrait Giuliano II Cesarini aged 14

Portrait of a Young Lady (Ca. 1580)

Portrait Group with the Artist’s Father Amilcare Anguissola and her siblings Minerva and Astrubale (c. 1559)