Title: Self-Portait at the EaselArtist: Sofonisba Anguissola
Date: 1556
I chose this painting by Sofonisba Anguissola because it is similar to her Self-Portrait at the Spinet (1561), which we looked at in class on Monday. Anguissola wears plain, masculine-looking clothing in this earlier self-portrait as well. As Mary Gerrard says in Here's Looking at Me, Anguissola "presents herself as 'like a man,' avoiding feminine signifiers that might link her with paragons of beauty or courtesans and emphasizing features associated with independence, self-possession, and maturity" (page 7). Anguissola pauses from her work to gaze solemnly at the viewer, as if she's saying "This is me." She doesn't emphasize her beauty or wear embellished clothing, as these things would only take away from the message of the painting. Through this self-portrait, Anguissola's intent is to show her seriousness and dedication as an artist. This painting reminds me of Artemesia Gentileschi's Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting (1630). I like how both Anguissola and Gentileschi represented themselves as artists in the act of painting.
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I like this painting she is gazing into our eyes. she is fully clothed and she has a serious look apon her face. this really show how much she precieves herself as a women.I also like how she painted 3 deminsional and the painting inside the painting is 3 demensional.
ReplyDeleteAll the woman during this time period are so serious! I agree with you-- I think it is really cool how when painting a self-portrait, the artist paints themselves painting. It shows not only their talent as an artist, but their devotion.
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