Matron Saint of Artistic Education for Women

Sofonisba Anguissola is an Italian Renaissance painter. Her work is renowned for not only for the stark likeness of the subjects she paints, but the intellectual approach to painting that she takes by relating symbolic elements with her subjects. Anguissola was born into a relatively poor noble family who valued the arts and education. This was rare for families to do during the Renaissance unless you were in a noble family. Even then, the arts were not something that was valued. Her father allowed her and her younger sister to pursue painting learning from masters such as Campi. Eventually Anguissola would go on to learn from Michelangelo, whom she corresponded with through letters critiquing and advising her work.

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Her father wanted Anguissola to do great things with her talents so he was always looking to help her secure a solid foundation for her career. He introduced Anguissola to various courtiers and artists which helped get her name out into the