Sofonisba Anguissola

Sofonisba Anguissola (c. 1531/1532 in Cremona, † November 16, 1625 in Palermo) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance and the most successful artist of this era.

Life

Sofonisba Anguissola was one of seven children Amilcare Anguissola and his wife Bianca Ponzoni ( six daughters, one son). Parents Sofonisbas both belonged to from the commercial bourgeoisie originating, noble families of the city of Cremona. Amilcare Anguissola and Bianca raised her daughters in one - for that time - " new sense ": they gave them a humanistic education to come, as well as training, as was customary for male family members. Sofonisbas sisters Lucia, Europa and Anna Maria were painters, Minerva appeared as a literary woman, Elena was a Dominican.

Sofonisba itself, the eldest, received a solid artistic training. She studied with Bernardino Campi and Bernardino Gatti, called Il Sojaro. Her father took over the management of his gifted daughter and corresponded with outstanding artists of the time (including Michelangelo) because of orders for them.

Sofonisba already had a reputation as a portrait painter when she was launched in 1559 on the recommendation of the Duke of Alba, Fernando Toledo to the Spanish royal court to paint Philip II and his family and to teach as maid of honor, the only 14 -year-old Elisabeth of Valois. The young queen soon spent most of their time in front of the easel.

Anguissola's first portrait of the Infanta Isabel childhood was so good that Peter Paul Rubens copied it. 1565 painted Anguissola Philip II

Sofonisba was the Queen Elizabeth also very emotionally attached. When Elizabeth died in 1568 during her third pregnancy, Sofonisba fell into depression and asked for their dismissal. In her contract had assured her that the Court should look around for a " befitting " man for the maid of honor. So she was staggered to Sicily to her first husband, the Sicilian nobleman Fabrizio di Moncada. After his death, she moved again to Spain, fell in love, however, go into the Genoese Orazio Lomellini, married and moved to Genoa with him. 1606 she visited the young Peter Paul Rubens.

With an eye disease (severe myopia ) and rheumatism disabled, Anguissola could no longer paint in her later years. They moved to Sicily, where they visited the young Anthony van Dyck and she also painted.

Importance

Sofonisba Anguissola was known in her time as a portrait painter, especially a painter of everyday life and group scenes.

The most famous image is Three Sisters playing chess, which is considered the first representation of a scene of everyday life in Italian painting. In addition to the Spanish royal family, she also painted many Italian and Spanish nobles of that time. Her works were included in the art collection of the Vatican, Pope Julius III. and Pope Pius IV had some of her paintings. Also, the biographer of Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci, Giorgio Vasari, brought their work against great interest.

Sofonisba Anguissola In addition, also worked as a teacher. As a young woman she taught her sisters, later in his forties other young artists.

Works (selection)

• 1550 Self-portrait, Milan, Museo Poldi Pezzoli
• As 1551, the sister of the artist in a nun's habit, Southampton, City Art Gallery
• 1554 Self-Portrait, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum
• 1555 Portrait of the Dominican monk Tosio Martinengo, Brescia, Pinacoteca Civica
• 1555 or 1558 self-portrait with the two sisters playing chess ( The Three Sisters ), Poznań, Muzeum Narodowe
• Unknown about 1555 portrait of a Dominican monk, whereabouts, formerly Collezione Calligaris in Terezo d' Aquileia
• To 1556 Self-portrait at an easel, Keir Collection Stirling
• 1557 Portrait of Bianca Ponzoni Anguissola, Berlin, SMPK, Gemäldegalerie
• 1558 Portrait of a young woman, Lviv Art Gallery
• 1559 The peace of the Holy Family on the Flight into Egypt, Bergamo, Accademia Carrara
• To the father Amilcare Anguissola, the sister Minerva and brother Asdrubale, Niva, Nivaagaards Malerisamling 1559 group portrait
• The painter Bernardino Campi to 1559 Sofonisba Anguissola portrayed, Siena, Pinacoteca Nazionale
• Before 1560 Portrait of a Girl, Graz, Landesmuseum Joanneum, Old Gallery
• 1561 Self-Portrait at the Spinet with nurse, Althorp Park, Earl of Spencer Collection
• 1561 or 1571 self-portrait, Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera
• About 1564 Portrait of Minerva Anguissola, Milwaukee, Milwaukee Art Museum
• About 1564 Portrait of King Philip II, Madrid, Museo del Prado
• 1565 portrait of Elizabeth of Valois, Madrid, Museo del Prado
• 1580 The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine, whereabouts unknown, formerly Coll. Earl of Pembroke in London
• To 1580 - 1585 Double portrait of a boy and girl from the family Attavanti, Oberlin, Allen Memorial Art Museum
• 1585 Self-portrait, Niva, Nivaagaards Malerisamling
• 1588 Mary breastfeeding the child (Madonna Lactans ), Budapest, Museum of Fine Arts
• After 1599 Portrait of the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum (?)
• 1610 Self-portrait, Bern, collection Gottfried Keller
• Self-Portrait, Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi
• Maria with the child, Copenhagen, Statens Museum for Kunst
• Portrait of a child, Copenhagen, Thorvaldsen's Museum
• The Lamentation of Christ ( Pietà ), Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera
• Self-portrait at the spinet, Naples, Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte
• Portrait of a young woman in profile, St. Petersburg, Hermitage Museum
• Self-portrait with the two sisters playing chess ( The Three Sisters ). ( Version of the image in Poznań), Turin, Museo Civico
• Double portrait of a woman with her daughter, Washington, National Museum of Women in the Art

Gallery

• Portrait of a young patrician, 1558
• Portrait of Elisabeth of Valois, 1565
• Portrait of the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia and Catalina Micaela, 1570
• Philip II, circa 1570
• Portrait of the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, 1573
• Portrait of the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, 1599
• Sofonisba Anguissola Portrait of 1610
• Three children with dog, circa 1580