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National Museum of Women in the Arts

Sofonisba Anguissola

View of the museum from outside showing the Neoclassical building from one corner. The building is a tan-colored stone with an arched doorway, long vertical windows, and detailed molding around the roof.

Painting with Confidence: Early Female Self-Portraiture

Posted: July 15, 2015
Category: Sofonisba Anguissola
Self-portraits convey more than just appearances—they affirm an artist’s identity. In the 16th and 17th centuries, women artists made portraits of themselves in their studios. Self-portraiture helped legitimize women as...
Painting of a trio of smiling musicians. On the left, a man wears a large black hat and plays the violin. On the right sits a man in orange wearing a feathered hat and playing the mandolin. In the center sits a woman dressed in black, opening her mouth in song.

5 Fast Facts: Sofonisba Anguissola

Posted: January 21, 2015
Category: Sofonisba Anguissola
Impress your friends with five fast facts about Italian artist Sofonisba Anguissola, whose work is currently on view at NMWA in Picturing Mary.
Three quarter length painting of a woman standing against a dark background. She is wearing a sumptuous red Renaissance-style dress with a high lace collar. Standing next to her at bottom left is a child holding a small spaniel.