Anguissola sofonisba biography sample
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Forgotten Womxn in Art History: Sofonisba Anguissola
by Ella Hackett
We begin with the Renaissance era, spanning from the 14th to the 17th century; a time governed by rediscovery, change, and progression. Culture boomed, as did philosophy, science, literature, and of course, art. From the Renaissance, geniuses were born. An eclectic plethora of scientists, philosophers, writers, and artists grew to fame and fortune: but amid these great thinkers - from poet to Shakespeare, to Leonardo da Vinci - there seem to be no women?
Renaissance art is awash with male masters; Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Giotto, Titan… the list endlessly oozes with masculinity and drips in vigour. A lack of female representation from the Renaissance era could lead one to the narrow conclusion that women didn’t man any art-work, or worse still, that they simply couldn’t paint, draw or sculpt. When researching, to find out there were numerous talented, ambitious, and accomplished women
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Summary of Sofonisba Anguissola
Sofonisba Anguissola was the first female artist of the Renaissance to achieve international fame during her lifetime. She had the ability to create life-like, sophisticated portraits that were intellectually engaging and flattering at the same time. She used self-portraits to promote and define herself, and she then turned this skill toward creating tjänsteman portraits of the Spanish royal house that advertised their ability to rule.
She was described as a marvel of nature and her work as a marvel of art. Ironically, these descriptions both marked her as a strange anomaly and catapulted her to fame. She was also noted to be virtuous and beautiful, a superbly educated conversationalist, accomplished in music, and a charming dancer - all of which endeared her to the Spanish and Italian nobility and did not threaten the cultural norms about what women could or could not do. Nonetheless, she turned cultural limitations to her advantage, surpassing all
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Sofonisba Anguissola
Italian painter (c. 1532–1625)
Sofonisba Anguissola (c. 1532[1] – 16 November 1625), also known as Sophonisba Angussola or Sophonisba Anguisciola, was an Italian Renaissance painter born in Cremona to a relatively poor noble family. She received a well-rounded education that included the fine arts, and her apprenticeship with local painters set a precedent for women to be accepted as students of art. As a young woman, Anguissola traveled to Rome where she was introduced to Michelangelo, who immediately recognized her talent, and to Milan, where she painted the Duke of Alba. The Spanish queen, Elizabeth of Valois, was a keen amateur painter and in 1559 Anguissola was recruited to go to Madrid as her tutor, with the rank of lady-in-waiting. She later became an official court painter to the king, Philip II, and adapted her style to the more formal requirements of official portraits for the Spanish court. After the queen's death, Phi