Sofonisba Anguissola

The Renaissance Era was a time of great progress in many areas, one of the most significant being art. Men like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci personified the Renaissance with their unforgettable works of religious art, but they were just two of the many painters who made this era a defining time in painting, sculpture and architecture. When most of us think of the Renaissance, we think of men like this. However, male artists were not the only ones making strides in art during the Renaissance. There were several female Renaissance artists as well, though their options were far more limited. Among these Renaissance women was Sofonisba Anguissola.

Sofonisba Anguissola was born in Cremona, Italy. The exact date of her birth is unknown, but the year is thought to be 1532. Her father was Amilcare Anguissola, a nobleman who supported his daughter's talent, and her mother was Bianca Ponzoni. Sofonisba was the eldest of the seven Anguissola children, most of whom trained in painting and drawing. None of the other Anguissola children would grow to be as talented and famous as Sofonisba.

Sofonisba would become one of the first female artists to be recognized for her talent as an artist. However, even a Renaissance woman like Sofonisba Anguissola had to suffer the indignity of being repressed because of her sex. When Sofonisba was fourteen-years-old, she went to train under Bernardino Campi. Campi was a relatively famous painter of the time, but he is currently known for being the man who taught Sofonisba Anguissola. One of her earliest paintings is of Campi painting her. Campi must have taught Sofonisba Anguissola well, but her skill was impeded by the fact that she was a female living in the 1500s. She could not study nude models or anatomy, which severely limited her options. She mainly painted portraits because of this.

The training of Sofonisba Anguissola was not limited to Bernardino Campi. Her most famous teacher was none other than Michelangelo. Michelangelo praised Sofonisba's work and gave her a small amount of informal training after her met her while she was traveling in Rome.

Many of Sofonisba Anguissola's early paintings are self-portraits and portraits of her siblings. In her self-portraits, she often identified herself with the word virgo (virgin) within the painting. She must have put a lot of stock in the chastity of her youth, and presumably much of her life until her thirties. We also know from her self-portraits that she played at least one instrument. She may have thought of herself as an avid reader as well because she painted herself with what appears to be a prayer book at one time. Unfortunately, her own paintings of herself are the closest we can get to knowing her thoughts, feelings and desires. Like so many other women who were coerced into modesty and obedience, her true self is lost to time. She did continue doing self-portraits into her old age, however, so we do at least know what she looked like through her life.

When Sofonisba Anguissola was in her mid to late twenties, she became a lady in waiting to Elisabeth of Valois - the new Queen of Spain. Elisabeth was only fourteen-years-old. Sofonisba would be one of her ladies in waiting for the remainder of Elisabeth's short life. She was also her painting and drawing instructor. Judging by contemporary accounts of Sofonisba Anguissola's time in the Spanish Court, her talent and the way she conducted herself brought her fame and a large allowance from King Philip II of Spain.

Elisabeth de Valois lived for about ten years after she married the King of Spain. She died after giving birth to a child who died on the same day. Sofonisba Anguissola was kept on at the Spanish Court for many years after Elisabeth's death. She was even given a dowry by King Philip when she married Don Francisco de Moncada in 1571. She left the Spanish Court during this marriage, but was given an allowance by the king until her death.

Don Francisco de Moncata died in 1579. About one year later, Sofonisba Anguissola met the love of her life, a much younger man named Orazio Lomellino. The couple married soon after. Sofonisba continued painting until she was no longer physically able. She died in 1625 at the age of 93.

Sources

Sofonisba Anguissola, retrieved 1/31/11, employees.oneonta.edu/ferberas/arth200/artist/sofonisba.htm