Chess Goddesses

Sofonisba Anguissola

Sofonisba Anguissola is often called the "First Woman Painter". Accounts vary, but Sofonisba was one of six sisters (Sofonisba, Lucia, Anna Maria, Europa, Elena, and Minerva), and possibly two brothers. Sofonisba's father, a Renaissance nobleman, sought education for all of his children and in her case, apparently went to great lengths to further her career as a painter. Beginning at the age of ten, she studied with Bernardino Campi and showed promise early on. (Four other sisters, Lucia, Anna Maria, Europa, and Elena, were also painters of some note, although not many of their works survive).

Sofonisba lived a long life filled with intrigue, adventure, and romance. (Her dates of birth and death are given anywhere ranging from 1527-1626, a long-lived lady). As an adult, she worked as a court portraitist for Philip II of Spain from 1559 to 1573.

Sofonisba's masterpiece is called, appropriately, "The Chess Game". It is a quadruple portrait of the artist, two of her sisters, and their governess (guess which one is Sofonisba). We present it here for your appreciation.

Information on Sofanisba obtained from
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian/issues95/may95/anguissola.html,
http://www.csupomona.edu/~plin/women/16_17century.html,
http://encarta.msn.com/index/conciseindex/AD/0AD95000.htm,
and http://www.scultura.com/ArtTimes/ArtTimesMay1.html.
Self-portrait of the artist courtesy of http://www.filmwork.it/sofoni.html.
"Sisters Playing Chess" courtesy of http://150.252.8.92/www/iawm/pages/Renaissance.html.