Sofonisba Anguissola could be considered the most significant female arist of the late Renaissance time. The Renaissance time period was around the 15th century, when art, literature, philosophy and architecture began to evolve and grow in its importance to society.
Sofonisba Anguissola was born in 1532, in Cremona, Italy, and grew up in a wealthy family alongside 6 younger siblings. Her father, a nobleman, was true to the Renaissance values and taught all his children to read Latin. Encouraged by her father, Sofonisba Anguissola focused her entire life around art; and in particular, portraiture. She received a good education in this field. At the age of 14 she was sent to study and to live with a local painter, Bernardino Campi, and then later, Bernardino Gatti.
Her father noticed her talent and took on the role as 'manager', using his connections in society to distribute her art globally.
Sofonisba Anguissola was born in 1532, in Cremona, Italy, and grew up in a wealthy family alongside 6 younger siblings. Her father, a nobleman, was true to the Renaissance values and taught all his children to read Latin. Encouraged by her father, Sofonisba Anguissola focused her entire life around art; and in particular, portraiture. She received a good education in this field. At the age of 14 she was sent to study and to live with a local painter, Bernardino Campi, and then later, Bernardino Gatti.
Her father noticed her talent and took on the role as 'manager', using his connections in society to distribute her art globally.
This particular painting is arguably her most well known. She created it at the young age of 20 years. This painting depicted a casual, day-to-day scene. It was almost unheard of in Italy to paint such a dull, ordinary scene at that time. However, perhaps even more unusual, is that she painted her sisters playing chess. Chess was a game reserved only for nobility and upper-class men. I believe that by replacing upper-class men with her young sisters, Anguissola aims to encourage others to think of all people- men and women of all ages- as equals. It was these sorts of revolutionary themes of equality that distinguished Sofonisba Anguissola from all other painters of her time, particularly as she was painting from a female's perspective.