Luisa Ignacia Roldán (1652-1706) is the earliest documented woman sculptor in Spain, recognized by the Hispanic Society museum as “one of the few women artists to have maintained a studio outside the convents in Golden Age Spain.” She was the daughter of sculptor Pedro Roldán and studied in her father’s workshop alongside her siblings. AroundContinue reading “Reframing History: Luisa Roldán”
Tag Archives: feminist art history
Reframing History: Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham
Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham is considered by some to be the United Kingdom’s first female architect and a major patroness of architecture during the 17th century. Born into aristocracy in 1632, Lady Wilbraham married Thomas Wilbraham, the heir to the baronetcy of Wilbraham in 1651. During their honeymoon, the couple traveled throughout Europe and Lady WilbrahamContinue reading “Reframing History: Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham”
The Father of Art History: Giorgio Vasari
Anyone who has studied Renaissance art history can’t escape one name: Giorgio Vasari. Often described as a “father” of art history, Vasari is best known for his Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects. This text, a foundation text of art history, is also the keystone of much of our knowledge (and misinformation!)Continue reading “The Father of Art History: Giorgio Vasari”
Museum Workers Unite!
In the wake of a difficult year for museums around the world along with numerous stories of toxic work environments at major museums, museum workers are coming together to advocate for their rights as workers. Over the past year, three major US museums have seen a push for worker unionization; the Guggenheim, the Whitney, andContinue reading “Museum Workers Unite!”
Judith Leyster, A Great Woman Artist?: Leyster’s Self-Portrait (1630-33) and The Influence of Feminist Scholarship
Judith Leyster is the most discussed female painter from the Dutch Baroque period, her Self-Portrait considered one of Leyster’s most prominent works due to its technical skill and content. However, Leyster’s Self-Portrait was not always considered a self-portrait. Following Leyster’s death in 1660, the work was misattributed to Frans Hals for over three centuries untilContinue reading “Judith Leyster, A Great Woman Artist?: Leyster’s Self-Portrait (1630-33) and The Influence of Feminist Scholarship”
The Queen’s Game: Sofonisba Anguissola’s “The Chess Game”
Previous scholarship on the portraits of Sofonisba Anguissola focused primarily on the way the artist depicted herself and the influence of her education on her portraits. Throughout the scholarship on Sofonisba, little attention has been given to one of the most important subjects of her early career; her family. Anguissola depicted her family on severalContinue reading “The Queen’s Game: Sofonisba Anguissola’s “The Chess Game””
“La Tintoretta:” Searching for Marietta Robusti
Little is known about Marietta Robusti, the daughter of infamous artist Tintoretto. Only one self-portrait is attributed to her, but is the woman in the painting actually Marietta?
The Heart of Renaissance Art: ‘Paragone’
In academic circles, a word that is inescapable when discussing Renaissance art is paragone. Paragone translated from Italian, generally means “comparison” and this theme of comparison was the backbone for much of the Italian Renaissance. Paragone was a major topic of debate during the early modern period, pitting artists, philosophers, and humanists against one anotherContinue reading “The Heart of Renaissance Art: ‘Paragone’”
Sofonisba Anguissola and the Ideal Female Courtier
Italian painter Sofonisba Anguissola has received significant scholarly attention for her vast array of self-portraits. As one of the earliest professional artists to create a significant number of portraits of herself, scholars have looked to her works as a way to understand how this remarkable young noblewoman created such a successful career for herself.Continue reading “Sofonisba Anguissola and the Ideal Female Courtier”
Reframing History: Sister Plautilla Nelli
Sister Plautilla Nelli (1524-1588) was a self-taught artist and is often considered the first known woman artist of Florence. She was a nun in the Dominican convent of St. Catherine of Siena, where she was heavily influenced by the teachings of Dominican friar and avid preacher Savonarola. Savonarola advocated for devotional paintings and encouraged womanContinue reading “Reframing History: Sister Plautilla Nelli”
Renaissance Reframed 