If you were a girl of artistic inclinations, born in Renaissance Italy to a progressive Humanist father who believed that you were possessed of a mind as well as a soul and therefore worthy of a tutor to teach you how to paint, you would have been one of a fortunate few.
But you still would have had societal obstacles to overcome. The first was modesty. A woman could not properly sign her own paintings, let alone accept payment for them. And she should not expect her work to be viewed in any public setting. Clerics believed that “a lady should keep her hands pure for prayer.”
This was the world into which Sofonisba Anguissola is born in 1535, in Cremona,. Yet her talent was such that her work was compared to Leonardo da Vinci’s, and Michelangelo corresponded with her (and even replicated one of her drawings in a work of his own.), so how was she to ignore her gift? Sofonisba’s ambition sprang as well from her fervent desire to restore honor to her family.
This ambition crystalizes on the day that Prince Phillip of Spain (which ruled parts of Italy at the time) locks eyes with her as he parades through town on horseback. The feeling that she can see into his soul solidifies into a determination to paint Phillip’s portrait one day. Her chances to do that increase when she is invited to become a lady in waiting for now-King Phillip II’s third wife, Isabel of Valois. The Spanish Court already has a court painter, but Isabel is interested in painting lessons from her talented lady, whom she eventually asks to paint her portrait. Phillip’s tepid response to the portrait leaves Sofonisba feeling he’s unlikely to ever request a portrait of himself.
Other ladies in waiting, envious of Isabel’s favor for her friend Sofi, and intrigue involving the Cardinal of Bourgos, challenge a vulnerable young woman on her own and make Sofonisba yearn to return home, but she remembers her duty to her father to bring honor to the family and carries on. Gradually, other members of the court—Princess Juana, Don John of Austria, the Duke of Parma, and Don Carlos—ask to have their portraits painted. Stylistically, Sofonisba experiments with various paint thicknesses and new lighting techniques, but her focus is always her subject’s face in her attempt to depict al vero, the truth. Elaborately detailed clothing and props provide the context and narrative for the portraits.
When Isabel dies in childbirth, Sofonisba cares for the queen’s surviving daughters. Two magnificent paintings spring from this time. Finally, she paints King Phillip’s portrait. “The greatest honor for a portraitist is to paint the king’s portrait, but the greatest task is to reveal the sitter’s soul.” Depicting Phillip in prayer, she accomplishes both goals. And years later, one of Isabel’s granddaughters sits for the exquisite Lady in Ermine.
In mid-life, Sofonisba leaves the Spanish Court, with wealth and honor. Her life continues to be dynamic: she marries—twice—and continues striving to improve her painting. She ponders, “What woman gets such freedom of choice in how to live her life?” She lives into her nineties, serving as a link between 15thc. Renaissance masters like Michelangelo and 17thc. Flemish artists such as Reubens and Van Dyke.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Sofonisba Anguissola lived an epic life. Author Donna di Giuseppe, a historian, has somehow synthesized the many characters in this epic story and the complex goings-on of 16thc. Europe to create a fascinating and immersive novel about a monumental artist.