Sofonisba Anguissola
Sofonisba Anguissola (1532-1632) is considered the first woman artist of the Renaissance and one of the most famous women artists in history. She was the court painter for King Phillip of Spain, lady-in-waiting to Queen Isabel, received a papal commission in 1561, and had a commemorative medal erected in her honor, something reserved for military rulers or great contributors to society.
Her great success inspired other women of the Renaissance to pursue the career of artist. Her style has similarities to the contemporary Italian and Spanish portraitists of her time. Unfortunately, this has led her work to be confused and attributed to Titian, Leonardo da Vinci, Giovanni Battista Moroni, Anthony Van Dyck and others.3 In spite of her international acclaim, papal and royal endorsements, and influence of younger male and female artists, history has not been kind to her. Until only very recently, she has been virtually omitted from all major historical accounts of the Renaissance. In addition, many biographies talk about her colorful life rather than her accomplished artwork.