When was Sofonisba Anguissola born and where?
Sofonisba Anguissola was born in 1532 in Cremona, Lombardy. She belonged to a poor but ancient Italian noble family that had settled in Italy after fleeing pestilence in Constantinople.
Questions about Sofonisba Anguissola
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who taught Sofonisba Anguissola during her early training years?
Her father sent her and her sister Elena to study with Bernardino Campi when she was fourteen. After Campi moved to Milan in 1550, she continued her studies with painter Bernardino Gatti for about three years between 1551 and 1553.
What happened when Sofonisba Anguissola met Michelangelo in Rome?
She traveled to Rome at age twenty-two in 1554 and showed him a drawing of a laughing girl before he challenged her to draw a weeping boy instead. He recognized her talent immediately and gave her sketches from his notebooks to draw in her own style for at least two years.
How did Sofonisba Anguissola serve as court painter to Queen Elisabeth of Valois?
She arrived in Madrid in the winter of 1559 or 1560 to serve as court painter and lady-in-waiting to Queen Elisabeth of Valois who was only 14 years old. During her 14-year residence she guided the artistic development of the queen and influenced the art made by the queen's two daughters Isabella Clara Eugenia and Catherine Michaela.
When did Sofonisba Anguissola die and how old was she?
Sofonisba Anguissola died in 1625 at age 93 in Palermo. Her husband buried her with honor in Palermo at the Church of San Giorgio dei Genovesi seven years after their marriage ended following his death in 1579.