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Anguissola was inventive and playful as she explored the narrative possibilities of portraiture, stretching the boundaries of the genre she was confined to because the artist was not allowed to study the nude figures required to represent historical and religious paintings because she was a woman. She was not just the most frequent self-portrait painter, but she was also unique in that her self-portraits were of herself as an artwork, not a painter. As a result, the work’s ultimate meaning has become a mystery, even though it continues to reveal new tales and inspire fresh perspectives on art. Thus, the paper aims to analyze the self-portrait of Anguissola and reflect on the painting created in 1556.
Sofonisba portrays herself painting in the self-portrait from 1556, adding mixed colors to a painting that features a passionate kiss between the Virgin and the Christ Child. She appears to be in the middle of a stroke as she casts her gaze forth. She has a calm, collected demeanor. Her right hand is supported while she applies the paintbrush to the canvas by a maulstick, a standard tool used to assist the artist’s hand. The artist is dressed simply in black, perhaps to suggest humility and virtue; her understated appearance reflects the woman of honor. The fact that Sofonisba included a picture of the Virgin Mary and the Christ child in her 1556 self-portrait speaks volumes about her virginity. Sofonisba probably included this private moment between mother and son here just to portray herself as a righteous woman—one who recognizes the greatest noblewoman, the Virgin Mary—even though depictions of Mary trying to feed, hugging, or embracing Christ as a baby were common during this time.
The strongest hues in Self-portrait at the Easel are those in Anguissola’s palette and her painting. This demonstrates Anguissola’s ability to wonderfully represent situations other than herself and the family. The Madonna’s pale, neutral complexion tone with touches of crimson around the cheekbones and hair color is similar to Anguissola’s. Even Madonna’s hairdo, with the delicate braid wrapped around her head almost like a halo, is comparable to Anguissola’s. Mary’s hand is highlighted in the painting, much way Anguisslike Anguissola’s hand states the two women’s intimate relationship. Anguissola sees her brilliance and connects with Mary’s authoritative presence. However, Christ appears simple; he is white and pure, and nothing draws unwarranted attention to him. This may be seen to emphasize Anguissola’s viewpoint on the value of women. Jesus and this masterpiece would not have existed without Mary and Anguissola, respectively.
The paradoxical qualities required of a young peasant woman and an artist are depicted in Sofonisba Anguissola’s self-portraits. Sofonisba Anguissola’s Self-portrait at the Easel shows the artist clad entirely in black against a misty backdrop (Robinson). I find it fascinating that she produced the most self-portraits compared to any other artist between Dürer and Rembrandt, and her peers hailed her as the greatest woman painter of her day (Self-portrait). Anguissola’s talent, clean reputation, and extraordinary education were made possible by her father, a nobleman who was poor but forward-thinking (Macdonald). It would enable her to work as an artist at the palace of King Philip II of Spain (Macdonald). However, as Anguissola was a woman and males were the court painters, she was granted a title more fitting for her sexual identity: lady-in-waiting to Philip’s wife, Elizabeth of Valois (Macdonald). These gender-based modifications enabled the Cremonese artist to excel in the competitive realm of royal art.
Nevertheless, these same modifications could also be to blame for the incorrect crediting of Anguissola’s efforts. For instance, even though it closely resembled her other well-known works, Juan Pantoja de la Cruz was incorrectly given credit for Anguissola’s 1565 Portrait of Philip II (Macdonald). The work was not returned to Anguissola until after scientific analyses in the 1990s (Macdonald). The quantity of Anguissola’s recognized works is growing, allowing an understanding of the significance of her works during that time.
In this self-portrait from 1556, Sofonisba depicts herself painting while incorporating varied hues into a scene that shows the Virgin and the Christ Child sharing a passionate kiss. Sofonisba most likely included this private exchange between a mother and son in order to present herself as a moral person. Anguissola’s hair color and the Madonna’s delicate, neutral skin tone with hints of scarlet around the cheekbones are comparable. In the period between Dürer and Rembrandt, Sofonisba Anguissola painted the most self-portraits, and her contemporaries regarded her as the best female painter of the time. The Cremonese artist’s father was a nobleman who was destitute but forward-thinking, and his talent made it feasible for her to pursue a career as an artist at Philip II of Spain’s palace. She was given the title of lady-in-waiting to Philip’s wife, Elizabeth of Valois, which was more appropriate for her sexual orientation. She was able to succeed in the challenging field of royal art because of these changes based on gender. However, the inaccurate attribution of her efforts may also be due to these same alterations.
Works Cited
Macdonald, Deanna. “Female Artists in the Renaissance.” Smart History. Web.
Robinson, Rosa Lena Reed. “Wonder Women: Sofonisba Anguissola, Lavinia Fontana and Artemisia Gentileschi. A Critical Analysis of Renaissance and Baroque Self-Portrait Painting by Female Artists.” Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Art History at Studio Art Centers International Florence, 2017, pp. 25-91.
“Self-portrait.” MFA Boston. Web.
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