Here’s an interesting picture. It’s a self-portrait by the remarkable 16th century painter Sofonisba Anguissola. She certainly painted all the picture, including herself, but it is of a man (her teacher Bernardino Campi), painting her.
And in this highly unusual picture, painted in 1559, she was making a feminist point. For Sofonisba was a woman rebel in man’s world, fulfilling her ambition to become a full-time artist.
Art historian Nina Relf tells us: “This work can be called a self-portrait in the sense that it is a painting of the artist and Anguissola is the creator. However, within the scene, the painter we can see is Campi. The painting provides a commentary on gender roles assigned throughout art history – the male as the creator, and the female as the subject. Here, Anguissola breaks the rules and reverses these roles.”
She adds: “In the 16th century, art was a predominantly male occupation. At that time, Sofonisba Anguissola did not comply with roles that were traditionally assigned to women, such as a mother and a homemaker. Instead, as a strong and independent woman, she decided to fulfill her ambition of becoming an artist instead. By doing this, she paved the way for other female artists such as Lavinia Fontana, who followed in her footsteps and also went on to paint portraits of the nobility and history paintings.”
You can read about Sofonisba in the online DailyArt online magazine by clicking here.
PS, this is my favourite Sofonisba painting, a delightful picture of her three young sisters enjoying a game of chess: