Her Early Life

Sofonisba Anguissola (1532-1625) was an Italian Renaissance painter. She was born in Cremona Diuchy of Milan in 1532. Sofonisba’s father was a nobleman from a wealthy family. In 1546, both Sofonisba and her sister Elena went to join the household of Bernardino Campi, a prominent local painter in Cremona. She continued studying art under Campi for three years until Campi moved to Milan. Sofonisba continued her studies with Bernardino Gatti and this helped her to appreciate the work of Correggio. Making use of the influence of her father, she received the encouragement of Michelangelo. Sofonisba also taught her three sisters how to paint while she was beginning to earn a livelihood.

Specialised in Portraits

She specialized in portraits and her most attractive paintings are her self-portraits and those with other members of her family. Sofonisba Anguissola was one of the first women to receive formal artistic training. reached the international level of fame very quickly. Sofonisba’s artistic genius became so famous that the Spanish court invited her to tutor the queen, Elizabeth of Valois, and to serve as court painter for the Spanish King Phillip II. Anguissola stayed and worked there in Madrid for about 14 years. During these years, she painted royal portraits and painting lessons to the Queen and her daughters. Anguissola earned the confidence of the crown and became a well-known and well-paid artist. She was the only and probably the first successful female court painter. Although historians feel that she also painted religious subjects, most of them have disappeared without trace.

Michelangelo’s Recognition

One of Anguissola’s most important early paintings was ‘Bernardino Campi Painting Sofonisba Anguissola’. This unusual double paining depicts Anguissola’s art teacher, Campi, in the act of painting a portrait of her. There was an interesting event that took place during her stay in Rome when another painter introduced her to Michelangelo. Anguissola showed Michelangelo a drawing of a laughing girl but the latter challenged her to draw a weeping boy as he thought that the subject was difficult and challenging. She took up the challenge and drew her famous painting ‘Boy Bitten by a Crayfish’ and sent it back to Michelangelo. He recognized her talent immediately and gave Anguissola any sketches from his notebooks to draw in her own style and offered comments and advice on her works.

Her Constraints as a Female Painter

Anguissola enjoyed lot more encouragement and support in her career as a painter than an average women got in those days. However, the society did not allow her to transcend the constraints that are gender specific in those days. As a female painter, it was considered unacceptable to study anatomy or draw or view nudes. Hence she could not undertake multi-figure compositions required for large scale religious or history paintings. This necessitated her to experiment with a different styles of portraiture with self and or with other members of her family frequently under different moods and circumstances. Her most famous painting ‘The Chess Game’ that depicted her sisters Lucia, Minerva and Europa was one of these portraits.

Her Famous Painting ‘The Chess Game’

Anguissola painted her famous painting ‘The Chess Game’ when she was 23 years old. The painting depicted an intimate presentation of an everyday family scene, displaying elaborate formal clothing and very informal facial expressions. This painting is regarded as an informal portrait of a group engaging in lively conversation or some other day-to-day activities. Anguissola always preferred to present herself as an artist, separate from her role as an object to be painted. In this way, she rebelled against the general notion that women are merely objects to be painted and instruments to be played with by men. Anguissola’s another self-portrait showed her in assertive role, playing a musical instrument.

King Arranged Her Marriage

According to art historians, most of Sofonisba’s paintings were destroyed in a fire at court during the 17th century. In around 1571, the king helped her marry the Viceroy of Sicily, Fabrizio de Moncada when she was aged 38. She became widowed after 6 year-long years of married life, in 1579. Again in 1579, when she was aboard a ship bound for Cremona, she fell in love with the wealthy captain of the ship, Orazio Lomellino and married him in 1580. By the time she became famous as a painter, she was also wealthy enough to become a patron and supporter of young artistic talent.

Her Fame and Paintings Misappropriated

Sofonisba and her husband lived in Genoa during the period from 1584 till 1620. She came under the influence of the works of Luca Cambiaso during this period. Sofonisba painted innumerable portraits of many dignitaries and personnel from royalty. Experts feel that many of her paintings became attributed to many male painters, including some painters as famous as Titian and da Vinci. Near the end of her life, the young and famous painter Anthony van Dyck visited her, sought her advice and drew her sketch.

Her Final Days

Anguissola painted her final self-portrait in 1620. She painted at least twelve self-portraits at a time when drawing self-portraits was not a common time. Anguissola made a vivid representation of male and female models. She made use of intense colours and paid special attention to details of hands and faces. Toward the end of her life, Anguissola was beginning to lose sight. She moved back to Sicily and became a generous sponsor of art. She died in Palermo, aged 93, in 1625, at a very advanced age for that time.

Her Famous Paintings

Known mostly as a painter of portraits, Anquissola painted nearly twelve portraits of herself. Her self portrait ‘Self-portrait at the Easel’ became one of her well-acclaimed paintings. In another portrait ‘The Chess Game’ made in 1555, Anguissola painted herself in action while playing a game of chess in the company of three other characters. The other characters portrayed in the painting are those of her three sisters. Her painting ‘Self-portrait at the Easel’ made in 1556 showed herself at work at the easel while painting the characters of a mother and a child. The string of her self-portraits includes another portrait made by her in 1554 in which she portrays herself wearing black attire and holding a book in her left hand. The book reads an inscription saying ‘The virgin Sofonisba Anguissola ade this herself in 1554‘. Sir Anthony van Dyck painted Sofonisba Anguissola’s portrait in 1624 when she was very old.