The artistic career of Sofonisba Anguissola commenced in 1532 in Cremona, where she established a precedent for women to seek professional training in painting. As a member of a noble family, she defied convention by pursuing a rigorous apprenticeship under Bernardino Campi and Bernardino Gatti, eventually transitioning from local practice to the inner circles of European royal courts.
Early Training and Influences
Born into a noble family in Cremona, Anguissola received an education that emphasized the fine arts. At age fourteen, her father Amilcare arranged for her to study under Bernardino Campi, a portraitist of the Lombard school. Following Campi’s departure for Milan in 1550, she refined her technique under Bernardino Gatti, a pupil of Correggio. Her development during this three-year period, specifically between 1551 and 1553, facilitated her transition from student to professional artist. During a trip to Rome in 1554, her skill in sketching caught the attention of Michelangelo, who recognized her talent.
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In 1559, Anguissola relocated to Madrid after being recruited as a tutor for the Spanish queen, Elizabeth of Valois. She served in the dual capacity of lady-in-waiting and court painter. Under the employment of Philip II, she shifted her creative focus from personal, intimate portraiture to the formal requirements of official state painting. This period established her as one of the most successful female court painters of the era, where she navigated the protocols of the Spanish royal household while continuing her professional work.
Style and Later Years
Anguissola's early compositions, such as 'Portrait of the Artist's Sisters Playing Chess' and 'Portrait Group with the Artist’s Father, Brother and Sister', are characterized by close observation and informal naturalism. Following her time in Madrid, she lived in various cities including Palermo, Pisa, and Genoa. As her career progressed, she expanded her repertoire to include religious subjects. She died in 1625 in Palermo and was buried at the Church of Saint George of the Genoese.
Fast facts
- Born: 1532, Cremona
- Died: 1625, Palermo
- Apprenticeships: Bernardino Campi, Bernardino Gatti
- Court Position: Lady-in-waiting and court painter (1558)
- Notable Work: Miniature Self Portrait
- Movement: Renaissance and Mannerism
- Burial Site: Church of Saint George of the Genoese
Questions readers ask
Did Sofonisba Anguissola receive formal artistic training?
Yes, she was apprenticed to local painters Bernardino Campi and Bernardino Gatti in the early 1550s.
What subjects did she paint?
Her body of work includes portraits of family members, formal state portraits, and religious subjects.
Achievements
- Notable work: Miniature Self Portrait (Anguissola, Boston)
- Notable work: Portrait Group with the Artist’s Father, Brother and Sister
- Notable work: Portrait of the Artist's Sisters Playing Chess
- Notable work: Portrait of a Boy at the Spanish Court
- Movement: Mannerism and Renaissance
