Sofonisba’s success

Where did sofonisba anguissola live

Nina Relf 3 February min Read. ArtStor digital library. European Art. Art State of Mind. During the Italian Renaissance, women artists did not have the same access to artistic education as men. Sofonisba Anguissola, however, was very lucky to receive artistic training and later achieve a successful international career. She paved the way for many other female artists who would later follow in her footsteps.

Sofonisba Anguissola was born in in the city of Cremona, Northern Italy. Her father, Amilcare, encouraged both her and her sister to train with artist Bernardino Campi. Anguissola herself appears often in her own works and we know of at least twelve self-portraits by the artist seven are believed to have been lost. In one of her most famous paintings, the artist paints herself on an easel in the process of painting Madonna and Child.

In Renaissance artworks, the female figure would normally be the subject of the painting. Here Anguissola establishes herself as the creator too. In the 16th century, art was a predominantly male occupation. At that time, Sofonisba Anguissola did not comply with roles that were traditionally assigned to women, such as a mother and a homemaker.

Instead, as a strong and independent woman, she decided to fulfill her ambition of becoming an artist instead.