|
|
|
|||||||||
 |
||||||||||
| Lavinia Fontana (1552–1614) | ||||||||||
| An artist of the Bolognese school, and born in Bologna, Lavinia Fontana painted historical scenes, mythological subjects, small devotional works, large-scale altarpieces, and portraits. She was the daughter of Prospero Fontana, who first trained her in art, and, like him, she adopted the Mannerist style. Her skill quickly surpassed that of her father, and she later became a pupil of Ludovico Carracci. While her historical paintings were highly regarded, Fontana’s greatest strength lay in portraiture, which she practised successfully in Rome. She first visited the city during the pontificate of Gregory XIII, painting his portrait along with those of many notable figures, and was considered one of the most accomplished artists of her time. She married Gian Paolo Zappi of Imola, who assisted by painting the drapery in her works. Fontana completed several altarpieces in the style of her father, though they were considered inferior in design and execution. Throughout her career, she also painted children’s portraits, including post-mortem images. Her training appears not to have included anatomical study, as her figures sometimes reveal a lack of precise knowledge, yet her work demonstrates both the technical skill inherited from her father and the insights she gained from studying Michelangelo, Raphael, and Parmigianino. The influence of Carracci is evident, particularly in her use of Venetian-inspired colour. Fontana was the first female painter to practise professionally, rather than working exclusively for courts or convents, and she produced the largest body of work of any female artist before the 18th century. Fontana died in Rome. | ||||||||||
| |
||||||||||
 |
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| |
||||||||||
  |
||||||||||
Art