Our programme on the role of women in the history of art continued on Friday 29 November 2024 with our group leader Jennifer. Picking up from the previous session, we started with the Anguissola family, and the work of Sofanisba and the work of Lucia, the two daughters who had become professional artists. They had painted much of the aristocracy of Europe, and when there were no interesting subjects offering commissions in Bologna, they painted themselves.

We then moved on to Lavinia Fontana who was also a very talented painter, with a special skill when it came to fabrics and jewels. We also learned about the Zibellino, and its reported use in preventing infection from insects like fleas. Of particular interest was the portrait of the young girl suffering from a condition that caused hair to grow over her face. We were also told about the hidden messages to be found in the painting of the Gozzadini Family, with two of the sitters being deceased at the time of the portrait, but their estates still to be sorted to the satisfaction of the others in the painting.

With Lavinia Fontana, we also were introduced to the first female nude painting painted by a woman artist. We studied the portrait of Isabella Ruini, the portrait of Venus and Mars and the portrait of Minerva dressing.

There was time to look at just a few of the works of Elisabetta Sirani, who in a ten year career as a painter produced some 700 canvasses although only 100 are known to exist today.

After the break, we had a short session on a theme represented in the National Gallery. This time it was paintings on the theme of “Domine quo vadis?”, and in particular the painting by Annibale Carraccia. Of particular interest in this painting is the character of St Peter, and many artists have painted his moment of decision to go to Rome where he too was crucified. Carraccia is buried in Rome in the Pantheon.

The programme of lectures continues on Friday 13 December 2024 at 10am.