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Sofonisba Anguissola

Type Figure Region Cremona Time 1532–1625 Also known as Anguissola

Outstanding Italian Renaissance painter born to a noble family in Cremona, famed for portraits;…

Timeline

  1. 1532–1559Cremona · LombardyBorn to a Lombard noble family, she trained in painting alongside her sisters, producing masterpieces such as The Chess Game in the 1550s, receiving guidance from Michelangelo by letter, and earning a reputation in the art world of northern Italy.
  2. 1559–1573Madrid · CastileInvited to Spain in 1559 as court painter to Philip II, she painted numerous portraits of royal family members; she continued serving the court through the 1560s and 1570s, becoming one of the most celebrated women artists in Europe at the time.
  3. 1573–1625Genoa · LiguriaAfter leaving the court in 1573 she settled in Genoa, continuing portrait work and mentoring younger artists; she lived to 1625, aged ninety-three, leaving an important chapter in the history of women in Renaissance art.

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