| Miniature Self Portrait (Anguissola, Boston) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Year | c. 1556 |
| Dimensions | 8.3 cm (3.3 in) × 6.4 cm (2.5 in) |
Self Portrait in Miniature is a small oil painting by the Italian artist Sofonisba Anguissola. It was painted around 1556 and mounted on a medal from the same time. The choice of format is based on Angussiola's knowledge of the works of the famous miniaturist Giulio Clovio. The painting is held at the Museum of Fine Arts, in Boston. [1]
The miniature depicts a half-bust self portrait of Sofonisba. She is dressed in an austere everyday dress, with her hair in tresses and gathered around her head. Her hands support a round shield with a complex monogram, showing the letters that make the name of her father Amilcare: ACEILMR. Circling the monogram there is the following inscription, painted in Latin in capital letters. «SOPHONISBA ANGUSSOLA VIR(GO) IPSIUS MANU EX (S)PECULO DEPICTAM CREMONAE».
The portrait is painted with the tip of the brush, on a weathered green background. The physiognomy of the face is typical of the self portraits of Sofonisba Anguissola: wide black eyes, small fleshly lips, an austere hairstyle and clothing, suitable for a woman from a good family, who wishes to present herself as a virgin, as well as literate and well educated. The raised collar, in the Venetian style, is left open to allow a glimpse of the white shirt underneath.
In the small dimensions of the cameo, the body of the young woman is hidden behind the monogram of her father. He was the probable recipient of the painting, to whom Sononsiba felt herself in debt, since he had given her the chance to study painting under Bernardino Campi.
Sofonisba Anguissola, also known as Sophonisba Angussola or Sophonisba Anguisciola, was an Italian Renaissance painter born in Cremona to a relatively poor noble family. She received a well-rounded education that included the fine arts, and her apprenticeship with local painters set a precedent for women to be accepted as students of art. As a young woman, Anguissola traveled to Rome where she was introduced to Michelangelo, who immediately recognized her talent, and to Milan, where she painted the Duke of Alba. The Spanish queen, Elizabeth of Valois, was a keen amateur painter and in 1559 Anguissola was recruited to go to Madrid as her tutor, with the rank of lady-in-waiting. She later became an official court painter to the king, Philip II, and adapted her style to the more formal requirements of official portraits for the Spanish court. After the queen's death, Philip helped arrange an aristocratic marriage for her. She moved to Sicily, and later Pisa and Genoa, where she continued to practice as a leading portrait painter.
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Self-Portrait is a small oil on panel painting by Sofonisba Anguissola, signed and dated 1554 on the open book held by the artist. It is now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
Portrait of Minerva Anguissola is a c. 1564 oil on canvas painting by Sofonisba Anguissola, now in the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan.
Portrait of Elisabeth of Valois is a c.1561-1565 oil on canvas painting by Sofonisba Anguissola, now in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
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