Top
Like Us!

Follow Us!
Worth Watching
  • Empires - The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance
    Empires - The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance
    A fascinating and highly entertaining look at one of the most important families of the Renaissance era--the Medici.
  • Sister Wendy - The Complete Collection (Story of Painting / Grand Tour / Odyssey / Pains of Glass)
    Sister Wendy - The Complete Collection (Story of Painting / Grand Tour / Odyssey / Pains of Glass)

    “Sister Wendy Beckett has transformed public appreciation of art through her astonishing knowledge, insight and passion for painting and painters.” This set includes Sister Wendy's Story of Painting, Sister Wendy's Odyssey, and Sister Wendy's Grand Tour. Simultaneously delightful and scholarly--this is a must have for anyone interested in art history.

  • Exit Through the Gift Shop
    Exit Through the Gift Shop
    When British stencil artist Banksy traveled to Los Angeles to work, he came across obscure French filmmaker Thierry Guetta and his badly organized collection of videotapes involving the activities of graffiti artists. Inspired, Banksy assembled them with new footage to create this talked-about documentary, and the result is a mind-boggling and odd film (so strange as to be thought a hoax by some) about outsider artists and the definition of art itself.
  • The Impressionists
    The Impressionists
    A dramatization of the Impressionist movement as seen through the eyes of Claude Monet. Highly entertaining and informative.
  • The Impressionists: The Other French Revolution
    The Impressionists: The Other French Revolution
    A very personal and revealing look at the personalities that created Impressionism.
« Quote of the Day | Main | “100 Great Artists of the 20th Century” »
Monday
Jun082020

Sofonisba Anguissola: The Challenge

DateMonday, June 8, 2020 at 8:00AM

Sofonisba Anguissola - Asdrubale Bitten by a Crawfish - c. 1554 - Black chalk and charcoal on brown paper, 13 x 15 in. - Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples (click photo for larger image)Obviously self-aware and politely subversive, Sofonisba Anguissola (1532-1625) seems to have been willing to challenge Michelangelo in both craft and wit. Her father had arranged to for the most famous artist of the age to show one of his daughter's drawings of a laughing child. - an obvious ploy to certify her talent for undertaking a task that Leonardo had described in his notebooks as requiring rare talent and nuance in order that the figure not appear pained or angered instead. 

Michelangelo begrudgingly admitted its proficiency and perversely claimed that showing a crying child would be even more difficult. Anguissola responded with a presentation drawing (featured here now heavily damaged). The scene seems a logical enough response to Michelangelo's remark. One of Anguissola's younger sisters calms their only brother Asdrubale who is being bitten by a crawfish.

Anguissola was the first female artist to gain an international reputation. She was classically educated and became a lady-in-waiting to the queen of Spain, Elizabeth of Valois (1454-68).

AuthorJill | CommentPost a Comment |

Reader Comments

There are no comments for this journal entry. To create a new comment, use the form below.

PostPost a New Comment

Enter your information below to add a new comment.

My response is on my own website »
Author Email (optional):
Author URL (optional):
Post:
 
Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>

Notify me of follow-up comments via email.