Self-Portrait 1610

This is Sofonisba Anguissola's Self-Portrait, made at an unknown date, painted with oils. Anguissola was a woman artist during the Renaissance; she was celebrated, but rarely the subject of artistic and institutional patronage. In this self-portrait, Anguissola presents herself as an accomplished older woman. Her traditional dress and accoutrements denote her as part of the aristocracy. The letter in her hand is probably from a patron, and a small book suggests her as learned. Though portraiture was a common genre, self-portraiture was rare among women artists of the time. Anguissola seems to be positioning herself as a paragon of the nobility, subtly pushing back against the idea that women could not be intellectuals, or artists. The social conditions that shape artistic production are important to consider. When we analyze this work, our interpretation is contingent on understanding social and institutional contexts. We can use letters, books, and other scholarly sources to understand this work better.