1 Artist / 1 Piece: Sofonisba Anguissola

We're heading a wee bit further back in time with this week's artist. Sofonisba Anguissola (c. 1532 – November 16, 1625) was an Italian painter from Lombardy. She came from a family of seven children (six of whom were daughters). Her parents encouraged all of their children to develop their talents and four of their daughters became painters. Minerva, one of the girls pictured here, became a writer and a Latin scholar. When Sofonisba was 22, she went to Rome and met Michelangelo. Upon seeing her work, he recognized her talent and she was then informally trained by him. She was eventually invited to join the Spanish court to serve as painter and lady-in-waiting to the Queen. She lived to the remarkable age of 93. I chose this painting because I see it as a departure from her other work. There's a wonderful sense of whimsy and play between the sisters. She has translated the relationship between these girls in a charming way. This piece is also an excellent example of her skills as painter.


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