As seen in many periods in history, the existence of female painters was rare back in the day, with few reputable artists existing. Despite this, however, Flemish artist Catherina van Hemessen defeated these odds and became one of the first Flemish female painters to have been recognized for her work.

The Lamentation of Christ by Catharina van Hemessen
“The Lamentation of Christ” (1550)

Catherina van Hemessen was born in 1528 in Antwerp, Belgium, to her father, Jan Sanders van Hemessen, a famous mannerist painter at the time. Due to his knowledge and the many obstacles women artists faced, Catherina was believed to have gone under his wing and learnt the skills she had through collaboration and training with her father. Throughout her career, van Hemessen was an extremely successful painter. Many of her works were recognized by well-respected people, one of them being the Maria of Austria (Queen consort of Hungary in the 16th century), who later became her patron in the 1540s.

Portrait of a Woman - Catharina van Hemessen — Google Arts & Culture
“Portrait of a Woman” (15th Century)

She was best known for her small portraitures, often featuring realism and dark backgrounds that drew viewers to the main subjects. Although very few works of hers survived, she was still highly influential with her self-portrait. In it, the artist is seen looking at the audience while at work by her easel. This style of composition was the first to be seen in the history of art, and it greatly influenced and changed the way artists would come to present themselves.

Self-Portrait (van Hemessen) - Wikipedia
“Self-Portrait“ (1548)

Seeing the challenges female artists had to endure during the time to get to where they wanted truly makes me appreciate the times we are in, present day. Art is now more inclusive with many reputable women in this field today, however, this would not have been possible without the help of women like van Hemessen, who paved the way for inclusivity and representation.

Other Works:

Portrait of a Man by Catharina van Hemessen | Obelisk Art History
“Portrait of a Man” (1552)

Portrait of a Child by Catharina van Hemessen
“Portrait of a Child” (1559)

Sources:

Peoplepill.com. (n.d.). About Catharina van Hemessen: Flemish Renaissance painter (1528 – n/a): Biography, facts, career, wiki, life. peoplepill.com. Retrieved October 1, 2021, from https://peoplepill.com/people/catharina-van-hemessen.

BBC. (n.d.). Caterina van Hemessen: An unknown visual pioneer. BBC Culture. Retrieved October 1, 2021, from https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20210305-caterina-van-hemessen-an-unknown-visual-pioneer.