Self Portrait at Easel

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Sofonisba Anguissola, Self Portrait at Easel, 1560
Unaffected by social constructs in her home, Anguissola's father stressed to his daughters the importance of developing individual skill as early as possible. By age 7, Sofonisba's gift for painting was evident beyond her immediate family. She left for Rome at 22 and was introdcuted to Michealangelo. Impressed by her young talent, Michelangelo informally became her master, enhancing her work and supplementing her natural gift.

The times, however, were not so kind. Being a female artist, Anguissola was not allowed to look at nudes, recreate biblical images, or access the same materials and teachings as men. Limited but not squelched, she turned to portraits to continue her work without the same luxuries as the male artists of the day. This particular portrait highlights the genius of Anguissola within the slim context of her artistic freedoms. As she paints the romanticized Madonna and Child, she paints herself in the casual, simple, attire, she typically wore while in practice. Here her ability to restrict color to one side of the piece and contrast the regal with the simple is made clear. In painting a biblical figure alongside herself, new-found notion of personal faith and feminist presence are depicted. A innovative female of the period, Anguissola battles boundaries to create exquisite influential works.

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