Lamentation with Saints (detail) 1569

This section of "Lamentation with Saints" was painted in Florence by Plautilla Nelli, sometime in the late 16th century, using oil on wood. Nelli’s status as a self-taught female artist gives this work a particular resonance. In an era when artistic training was largely limited to men, she learned her craft through studying existing paintings and developing her own techniques, such as preparing her own paints. The underdrawing would have determined the composition and placement of figures. Then Nelli would have meticulously built up layers of color, using glazes to create luminosity and depth. As she employed assistants from her convent, Nelli relied on collaboration, which was then typical of workshops run by male artists. The very act of painting, traditionally a male domain, becomes an assertion of female agency and a testament to Nelli's determination.