Lavinia Fontana is a well-known female artist in 16-17C who started her life in Bologna, Italy. She painted in a mannerist style; she was excellent in artistry and stood out in historical paintings and portraits with the full support of her father, artist Prospero Fontana.
Lavinia gained popularity as a portrait painter among Bologna noblewomen of the time. So she became the first female painter to be commissioned for a large-scale portrait. Her paintings gained fame for their vivid colors, detailed descriptions of clothes, and high-quality accessories.
She was also the first female artist to paint “nude paintings,” forbidden for female artists. Among the female painters who were active before the 1700s, most works were handed down and contributed to the development of the portrait field in Italian art.
Portrait of Antonietta Gonzalez, 1583 (source)
Of course, there were two supporters (father and husband), but we would not have known her without her artistry and solidity. Her unbiased view and confidence made the works shine even more.
While watching “Portrait of Antonietta Gonzalez,” I didn’t want to limit the model into a mysterious being or a gaze of sympathy. I tried to ask myself how broad I am living in recognition of ‘different.’
Image Sources : (attached under each photo)
Writing Sources:
https://arthive.com/publications/3596~The_first_woman_painter_9_facts_about_Lavinia_Fontana
https://repainthistory.com/pages/lavinia-fontana
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavinia_Fontana
Jeff Burgess
Sol,
Pretty good work on Fontana here! You have some basic information and some personal thoughts about the work. I would like to see even more thoughts about some of the pieces, especially that curious one of the boy/monkey. Who is this and what has caused the deformity or did she make up the image? That sort of thing would have been welcome. Good start out of the gate though!
Jeff
James Cotter
Writing comment from Patrick
Good flow in storytelling. Suggest you use Grammarly to smooth out bumpy sentences. (She painted in a mannerist style; she was excellent in artistry and stood out in historical paintings and portraits with the full support of her father, artist Prospero Fontana.) It would also catch minor errors (in 16-17C … should be: of the 16th to 17th century. Good work. overall.