Self-Portrait

by Sofonisba Anguissola (1532-1625)

About this artwork

An early self-portrait painted when Anguissola was about twenty years old, demonstrating remarkable precocity and self-awareness. The artist presents herself with direct gaze and dignified bearing, dressed in elegant but restrained attire. The painting's careful attention to facial features and psychological presence reflects her training and growing mastery. This work exemplifies how Anguissola used self-portraiture to establish her identity as a professional artist at a time when few women achieved such recognition. Her international fame inspired Michelangelo's admiration and opened doors for subsequent women artists in Italy and Spain.