Women Artists of the Renaissance

Renaissance art is often told as a story of men, but women artists also worked, despite major obstacles. Women were generally excluded from workshops, guilds and the study of the nude, so many who succeeded were daughters of painters or came from noble families. Sofonisba Anguissola (c. 1532–1625), from a noble family in Cremona, became famous for lively portraits and served at the Spanish court of Philip II.

Lavinia Fontana (1552–1614) of Bologna built a professional career, painting portraits and large public altarpieces, rare for a woman then. Properzia de' Rossi carved sculptures in Bologna. Vasari mentioned several women in his Lives, though often as remarkable exceptions. Historians since the 1970s have recovered their careers, asking not only 'why were there few women artists? ' but also how social structures limited their opportunities.