How Did Sofonisba Influence The European Renaissance

The European Renaissance began in the northern city-states of Italy during the early 14th century and gradually spread its’ roots over Western Europe in 15th and 16th century. The origin of il Rinascimento, literally meaning ‘The Renaissance’ can traced back to the well-known and wealthy Italian cities of Genoa, Florence, and Venice. Since much of the inspiration behind the cultural changes during this era was drawn from the legacies of classical European societies such as Ancient Rome, and since Italy was at the very heart of the Roman Empire, it attracted artists, writers, scientists, and thinkers who were in search of new ideas and inspiration. Besides its’ legendary ancient history, the peninsular state of Italy also had many geographical …show more content…
However, breaking through the society’s self-imposed barriers was the extraordinary rarity called Sofonisba Anguissola. She was among the first women to earn international reputation as a respected Renaissance artist and portraitist. Unlike most of her female contemporaries, she had the unusual opportunity to develop her potential as a phenomenal painter and showcase her talents in the form a successful career. Sofonisba’s earliest paintings were dominatingly self-portraits, in which she constructed her image as a “woman of virtue.” Her self-portraits were generally aimed towards testifying to her discrete modestia, which loosely translates to “discreet modesty”. According to her, female virtue and moral excellence stems from chastity, and comprised of compliance, silence, shyness, and a sheer lack of pretention. Anguissola often used to refer to herself as a ‘virgo’, which represents virginity and purity. The choice of "virgo," which denotes that she is unmarried, also suggests self-possession and independence as well as the unquestioned moral reputation of an upper-class gentlewoman.[