Sofonisba Anguissola

Sofonisba Anguissola (c. 1532-1625) was an Italian painter. She had skillfully crafted her work by overcoming the gender and class disposition of the rigid Renaissance framework. Born in a reasonably well off Cremona family, she benefited from an education that was unusual for women of her time. While her noble background enabled Sofonisba to be in an advantageous setting compared to the majority of women, who had no access to artistic professional opportunities, her male counterparts still possessed more favorable opportunities than her.

Like all women painters, Sofonisba faced the challenge of not owning a commercial workshop, as male painters did. She also could not accept public commissions for her work because women were not allowed to do so. Instead, she served as a court painter to Philip II of Spain. In this role, she not only painted portraits but also served as an art advisor. Nevertheless, the possibility of her being a lady-in-waiting and not an independent female artist, showcases the degrees of restriction put onto women, irrespective of their talents. She could be as free as she wanted due to the privilege of her class but as expected from the upbringing her family provided her, it meant refraining from partaking in the capitalist backdrop female artists were bound to.

Despite these barriers, Anguissola subtly challenged gender norms through her self-portraits and depictions of women, which conveyed intelligence and individuality rather than mere decorative beauty. Her success paved the way for later women artists like Artemisia Gentileschi, highlighting the intersections of gender and class in shaping artistic careers.