Sofonisba Anguissola(circa 1532 - November 16 1625)
Although women were excluded from the study of human anatomy, which informed the work of many of Italy’s greatest Renaissance artists, Sofonisba Anguissola was widely admired in her time as a marvel of artistic innovation. Not only did she develop genre painting and intimate portraiture to a high art fully one hundred years before they became fashionable, but she is credited with inspiring an entire generation of Bolognese women in the 16th and 17th centuries to pursue successful careers in the arts.
For information on other Renaissance women in the arts, see:
For information on other Italian women in the arts, see:
Sofonisba Anguissola, Self-Portrait, 1554. Oil on panel. 6 3/4 x 4 3/4 inches (17 x 12 cm). Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. www.khm.at

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