Précis & Questions
The Italian Renaissance was a time when males were dominant within society. Therefore, it was very difficult for a female to gain recognition in any acknowledged profession. Sofonisba Anguissola strove to rise above her “station” by gaining what was elusive for a female; recognition in the masculine profession of art. She was known by many as the “marvel of nature,” because it was believed that only men could create beauty in art. To gain acceptance, she needed to portray herself as almost masculine, yet remain feminine enough to avoid being seen as stepping above her “station” entirely. Her hidden talent lay in her ability to reveal the truths she perceived in the character of people and society through cleverly veiled messages within her paintings.Sofonisba’s life was affected by many factors, but she likely would never have accomplished what she did without her father’s progressive attitude. Not only did her father invest in teaching his daughters “womanly” skills, he made sure that they had an education worthy of the sons of aristocracy which included art, language and reading.
Yet, art was considered beneath any high born child. This was a hurdle that was frequently overcome by males seeking to enter such a profession, but females had a distinctly more difficult time. In fact, it was unheard of for a female to gain entrance. So, it was a great boon when Bernardino Campi agreed to take Sofonisba as an apprentice for three years until 1549. Luckily, a new apprenticeship was found for Sofonisba with Bernardino Gatti in that same year. After three years had passed studying under Gatti, Sofonisba traveled to Rome where she fell under the tutelage of Michelangelo for the next two years starting in 1554. All three of these artists had a great influence on Anguissola’s painting style, but the variety provided by each caused her to develop a very distinctive mature style of her own. Yet even with the special touches to her painting, she was still not fully recognized for her own skill as a female.
Anguissola’s life changed forever during 1559. She was summoned by King Philip II to the Spanish court to act as a lady in waiting to his newly arrived bride, Queen Isabel. The two women become fast friends as some of the only foreigners to the Spanish court. Perhaps due to this friendship she branched out into the job of court painter, though she still was under-recognized. In fact, she was frequently referred to as a young girl or a non-professional painter. However, she persevered though all of these slights and continued to paint her subjects with subtle undertones to reveal her perception of their nature heeding her position both as a lady and as a court painter. She became a master of portraying a person’s nature through facial expressions because it was the only way in which she could speak freely.
Sofonisba Anguissola succeeded in establishing herself as a renowned painter; thus, earning her place in the male dominated art profession. Her life may not have been easy, but Anguissola followed her dreams into the art profession where she made a name for herself. The experiences that had brought her to the top shaped both her character and her portraits. Yet, she did more than paint, she told the story of her subjects’ character as she perceived them through the subtle means of hiding them on her canvas with a paint brush.
Questions:
· Were the hidden messages within Anguissola’s paintings understood during her time?
· How was Anguissola treated as a “marvel of nature?”
· What impact, if any, did Anguissola’s single marital status throughout most of her life have on her career?
· Anguissola portrayed the character she perceived in her subjects, but did her own character impact this perception? If so, how?
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Image: Sofonisba Anguissola. Bernardino Campi Painting Sofonisba Anguissola, c. 1558-59. Oil on canvas. Pinacoteca Nazionale, Siena.
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ReplyDeleteSofonisba Anguissola was no doubt an extraordinary woman, especially for her time. To have overcome the stereotype of a woman in the day and age she lived in, and to exceed standards set for men, was quite an accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteHidden messages within Anguissola’s paintings were definitely present; however I am not completely convinced that they were understood at the time. Many of her messages were very modern for the time, and if they were understood I feel that they would have sparked critique or at least conversation about her paintings during the period. In "The Chess Game", she portrays women (through images of her sisters and herself) as capable intellectuals, rather than as glorified house servants as many women were treated at the time. In "Bernardino Campi Painting Sofonisba Anguissola" she is quite obviously sending the message that Campi is an inferior artist. She portrays Campi very realistically. Campi’s portrait of Anguissola, however, is also quite good but lacks the depth the depiction of Campi possesses.
I agree that Anguissola was treated as a “marvel of nature.” The training her father made sure she recieved was definitely a large part of this. The training by Campi, Bernardino Gatti, and Michelangelo helped her achieve that “marvel of nature” status. Being recommended to Philip II by the Duke of Alba and in turn being invited to join the Spanish court shows she had risen above her “station” as a woman and was instead being viewed as an artist. The dowry she received from the king also proves she was no ordinary woman. Perhaps another testament to her being a “marvel of nature” is the fact that she lived to be ninety-six years old, and had acquired fame and fortune on her own.
I think Anguissola’s single status largely impacted her career. Being unmarried, I think she was able to shed many of the stereotypes held of women at the time and pursue her own interests. She did not have a husband who required her to run the household, raise children, or who would tell her that the canvas is no place for a woman. I think this lack of discouragement, along with the support from her father when she was younger, played a very large part in her career. Being such an up and coming artist, and supporting herself probably added to society’s interest in her. Being single allowed Anguissola to have a large amount of freedom, since, stereotypically, the man was the dominant presence in a marriage, thus allowing her to further her art career.
I believe Anguissola’s own character impacted her perception of others’ character. I believe it is impossible to be completely unbiased when looking at another person’s character. Every female subject of hers is portrayed with dignity, power, and as an intellectual. Even if it is a young girl, these characteristics radiate from the image. This is obviously a reflection of Anguissola’s own character. She may have felt that the women of her time were just waiting to be “let out of their cage” so they could contribute to society as the men did.
Response to Sofonisba Anguissola Prompt(s)
ReplyDeleteIn response to the first prompt, I believe it was likely that most people did not pick up on the subtleties of Sofonisba Anguissola’s art, as many people underestimated her abilities and talent during the period of history in which she lived. As we learned, Anguissola was able to give the subjects of her paintings a sort of life-like character that uniquely distinguished her style of portraiture from her male peers. She was amazingly gifted with the ability to incorporate stunning detail into her works, down to every minute characteristic of the person and place she was portraying. One can tell that she took pride and care in giving her paintings just the right emotional feel and appearance. Her paintings, though sometimes somewhat mysterious, give the viewer a look into the personalities of her subjects.
As the centuries have progressed since her time, I believe people were able to gain a keener appreciation for Anguissola’s remarkable attention to detail and incorporation of hidden messages into her paintings. One example of her creativity in putting subtle messages into her works was the style in which she left her signature in her paintings, as was discussed during the class presentation. This, I believe, shows how much she enjoyed leaving nuances in her portraits for people to discover and marvel at.
In response to the second prompt, people considered Anguissola to be a “marvel of nature” as it was incredibly uncommon for a woman, at that time, to express herself in such a highly intricate, artistic fashion. People then believed that only men could formulate and produce such extraordinary art. Anguissola’s art even astonished some people so much that they believed to be even more than an average woman, almost as if she had some sort of special, unknown ability. Anguissola’s art showed how she was able overcome her social stigma as a female artist and demonstrate to people how beautiful, detailed art was not only a product of men.
In response to the fourth prompt, I believe that every artist, to some degree or another, incorporates their own personality into their works of art. However, with portraiture in particular, it is sometimes difficult to perceive how much an artist has blended his or her character with the character with the subject. In analyzing some of Anguissola’s portraits, I believe she mostly portrayed the character of her subjects, with some of her character blended in, to create her own unique style. Part of why I believe she let most of her subjects’ own characteristics become of the part of her final paintings is her method of making the people she painted “come alive,” as was mentioned above. It would not be easy to do this if an artist strived to mostly incorporate his or her own characteristics into their artwork. I believe that Anguissola had a genuine interest in the people she portrayed and yearned to learn about her subjects through painting them. This is tied back into her attention to detail. She wanted to express the feelings and characteristics of her subjects as explicitly as possible while still creating beautiful works that would be pleasant to observe. I believe that Anguissola’s methods of creating portraiture demonstrate her true, extraordinary talent and dedication in creating exceptional art.
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ReplyDeleteSofonisba Anguissola was an incredible artist, not just because of her art, but also because she was a woman in the sixteenth century who did not follow the social norms. She did not marry, but she spent her time painting. Sofonisba Anguissola was treated as a “marvel of nature” by many people in her time because she was a woman who was very skilled at painting. Many people thought that only men could make beautiful art, but Sofonisba Anguissola obviously proved them wrong. I am guessing that people were amazed by her. They had never met someone who went unmarried for much of her career and who was such a talented artist. Many people also doubted her and did not take her art seriously. I would guess that it was harder for her to sell paintings than the male artist of her time. I think that some people probably understood the hidden meanings in Anguissola’s work. I would guess that many people saw that she was portraying females as intelligent, strong, and capable. I don’t know if these hypotheses are true so I would like to see research that addressed them.
ReplyDeleteAnguissola’s single marital status helped her art career. It probably gave her more time to paint, freedom to be in the Spanish court, and helped her reputation. If she had married, Anguissola would have had children and would have had to spend much of her time taking care of them and her husband. This would have left her much less time to paint. Also, I believe that ladies in waiting had to be unmarried. If she had not been single, she would not have been able to be a lady in waiting to Queen Isabel which led to her being a court painter. If she had been married, she would not have been able to have this opportunity. Additionally, if Anguissola had been married, she would have been expected to just take care of her household and not paint. Since she would probably still have painted, though not as much, many people would look down on her. Staying single allowed Anguissola to have more time to paint, be a court painter, and helped her reputation.
I think that Sofonisba Anguissola’s character impacted the character she perceived in her subjects. She was an intelligent and strong woman and she painted that into many of her female subjects such as her sisters in the painting, Lucia, Minerva and Europa Anguissola Playing Chess. They are portrayed as being smart because they are playing chess which is a game that definitely requires an intelligent brain. Anguissola must have also had a lot of confidence in herself and her art skills. This is portrayed in her painting, Bernardino Campi Painting Sofonisba Anguissola, which shows her mentor, Bernardino Campi, painting a portrait of her. As Jaclyn mentioned in her presentation, the portrait of Anguissola is flat and two dimensional, but Campi is three dimensional which shows that she is skilled at painting and that she can make art just as well as men can. Anguissola was a marvel of her time in that she was a woman creating beautiful art. Her lack of marriage in most of her career advanced her art and parts of her character came through in her art.