Lavinia Fontana (24 August 1552–11 August 1614) was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

Mannerist Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

painter active in

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

and

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. She is best known for her successful portraiture, but also worked in the genres of mythology and religious painting. She was trained by her father,

Prospero Fontana Prospero Fontana (1512–1597) was a Bolognese painter of late Renaissance and Mannerist art. He is perhaps best known for his frescoes and architectural detailing. The speed in which he completed paintings earned him commissions where he wor ...

. She is regarded as the first female career artist in Western Europe, as she relied on commissions for her income. Her family relied on her career as a painter, and her husband served as her agent and raised their 11 children. She was perhaps the first female artist to paint female nudes, but this is a topic of controversy among art historians.

Biography

Education and career in Bologna

Lavinia Fontana was born in

in 1552 to Antonia de' Bonardis and Prospero Fontana. She was baptized on 24 August 1552, at the cathedral of San Pietro. Her elder sister Emilia died in 1568 when Lavinia was sixteen. Prospero was a prominent painter of the School of Bologna and served as her teacher. Caroline P. Murphy suspects that financial issues may have prompted Prospero to train Lavinia as a painter. She later studied under the Netherlandish artist Denis Calvaert, who had once been a pupil of Prospero and who ran an influential painting school in Bologna. Her earliest known work, ''Child of the Monkey'', was painted in 1575 at the age of 23. Though this work is now lost, another early painting, ''Christ with the Symbols of the Passion'', painted in 1576, is now in the

El Paso Museum of Art Founded in 1959, The El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA) is located in downtown El Paso, Texas. First accredited in 1972, it is the only accredited art museum within a 250-mile radius and serves approximately 100,000 visitors per year. A new buildin ...

. Being the daughter of a painter allowed Fontana to become an artist in a time where female artists were not widely accepted, and Bolognese society at large was supportive of Fontana's artistic career, providing opportunities and connections that were not available to women in other locales. She began her commercial practice by painting small devotional paintings on copper, which had popular appeal as papal and

diplomatic gift A diplomatic gift is a gift given by a :diplomat, politician or leader when visiting a foreign country. Usually the gift is reciprocated by the host. The use of diplomatic gifts dates back to the ancient world and givers have competed to outdo e ...

s, given the value and lustre of the metal. Fontana married the Count of

Imola Imola (; or ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, located on the river Santerno, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The city is traditionally considered the western entrance to the historical region Romagna ...

, Gian Paolo Zappi, (alternate spellings include Giovan and Fappi), one of her father's pupils, in June 1577. Unusual for the time, their marriage contract specified that she would continue her career and would not be responsible for housekeeping. Instead of offering a dowry as would have been widely accepted in this time, Fontana painted to earn an income. The couple moved into Prospero's house in Bologna and Lavinia added Zappi to her signature. She gave birth to 11 children, though only 3 outlived her: Flaminio, Orazio, and Prospero. Zappi took care of the household and served as an agent and painting assistant to his wife, including painting minor elements of paintings such as draperies. Fontana attended classes at the

University of Bologna The University of Bologna (, abbreviated Unibo) is a Public university, public research university in Bologna, Italy. Teaching began around 1088, with the university becoming organised as guilds of students () by the late 12th century. It is the ...

, and was listed as one of the city's ''Donne addottrinate'' (women with doctorates) in 1580. In the 1580s, she gained renown as a portraitist of Bolognese noblewomen, who competed for her services. The high demand for portraits painted by Fontana was reflected in the large sums of money she earned during this period. Her relationships with female clients were often unusually warm; multiple women who sat for portraits, such as

Costanza Sforza, Duchess of Sora Costanza Sforza of Santa Fiora (1550 – 22 January 1617) was an Italian noblewoman. By birth she was member of the powerful House of Sforza and by marriage member of the House of Boncompagni. Early life Costanza was daughter of Sforza Sforz ...

, later served as namesakes or godmothers for Fontana's children. File:Tognina.jpg, ''Portrait of Antonietta Gonsalvus, daughter of Petrus Gonsalvus'', 1595, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Blois. File:Lavinia Fontana - Portrait of a Lady with a Dog - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Portrait of a lady with a dog'', 1590s,

Auckland Art Gallery Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is the principal public gallery in Auckland, New Zealand. It has the most extensive collection of national and international art in New Zealand and frequently hosts travelling international exhibitions. Set be ...

Roman period (1603–14)

Fontana and her family moved to

in 1604 at the invitation of

Pope Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII (; ; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 January 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born in Fano, Papal States to a prominen ...

. She gained the

patronage Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

of the

House of Boncompagni The House of Boncompagni is a princely family of the Italian nobility which settled in Bologna in around the 14th century, but was probably originally from Umbria. In 1572 Ugo Boncompagni was elected pope, taking the name Gregory XIII, and the f ...

, of which

Pope Gregory XIII Pope Gregory XIII (, , born Ugo Boncompagni; 7 January 1502 – 10 April 1585) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 May 1572 to his death in April 1585. He is best known for commissioning and being the namesake ...

was a member. She was subsequently appointed as Portraitist in Ordinary at the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...

. Fontana thrived in Rome as she had in Bologna and

Pope Paul V Pope Paul V (; ) (17 September 1552 – 28 January 1621), born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his death, in January 1621. In 1611, he honored Galileo Galilei as a mem ...

was among her sitters. Along with portraits, Fontana created a substantial number of extensive altar pieces, and it is believed that she may be one of the first female painters to have done this. Fontana followed Cardinal

Gabriele Paleotti Gabriele Paleotti (4 October 1522 – 22 July 1597) was an Italian cardinal and Archbishop of Bologna. He was a significant figure in, and source about, the later sessions of the Council of Trent, and much later a candidate for the papacy in 15 ...

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...

principles in art theory. In 1593, Cardinal Paleotti commissioned the ''Assumption of the Virgin'', created by Fontana for the chapel altarpiece of Bologna Cathedral. Fontana painted another ''Assumption of the Virgin'' in 1593 at the church of San Francesco Oltre Reno at Pieve di Cento, which was commissioned by the

Bentivoglio family The Bentivoglio family (Latin: ''Bentivoius'') was an Italian noble family that became the ''de facto'' rulers of Bologna and responsible for giving the city its political autonomy during the Renaissance, although their rule did not survive a cent ...

and placed in the family chapel. Fontana was also commissioned for works by two popes, Gregory XIII and Clement VIII. Fontana also produced paintings on mythological allegorical themes, sometimes "highly sensuous paintings with female nude figures—an unheard-of and risky venture which to date no female artist had permitted herself to attempt. Her last painting, ''Minerva Dressing'' (1613), was a true masterpiece." She was the first female elected into the

Accademia di San Luca The Accademia di San Luca () is an Italian academy of artists in Rome. The establishment of the Accademia de i Pittori e Scultori di Roma was approved by papal brief in 1577, and in 1593 Federico Zuccari became its first ''principe'' or director; ...

of Rome, and was the recipient of numerous honors, including a bronze portrait medallion cast in 1611 by sculptor and architect Felice Antonio Casoni. According to Jean Owens Schaefer, the reverse side of the medal depicts Pittura, an allegorical figure representing painting. He also posits that this is the first visual rendition of

Cesare Ripa Cesare Ripa (, Perugia – Rome) was an Italian Renaissance scholar and iconography, iconographer. Life Little is known about his life. The scant biographical information that exists derives from his one very successful work: the ''Iconologia ...

's 1603 description of Pittura. She died in the city of Rome on 11 August 1614, at the age of 61, and was buried at

Santa Maria sopra Minerva Santa Maria sopra Minerva is one of the major Church (building), churches of the Order of Preachers (also known as the Dominicans) in Rome, Italy. The church's name derives from the fact that the first Christian church structure on the site was b ...

Artistic influences, style

Fontana's youthful style resembled that of her father, Prospero. As a student of

Ludovico Carracci Ludovico (or Lodovico) Carracci ( , , ; 21 April 1555 – 13 November 1619) was an Italian early-Baroque painter, etcher, and printmaker from Bologna. His works are characterized by a strong mood invoked by broad gestures and flickering li ...

, she gradually adopted the Carracciesque style, with strong quasi-Venetian coloring.

Sofonisba Anguissola Sofonisba Anguissola ( – 16 November 1625), also known as Sophonisba Angussola or Sophonisba Anguisciola, was an Italian Renaissance painter born in Cremona to a relatively poor noble family. She received a well-rounded education that ...

, Caterina Vigri, and Properzia de' Rossi may have influenced Fontana's artistic career. The Counter-Reformation and the

Council of Trent The Council of Trent (), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation at the time, it has been described as the "most ...

's recommendations for religious art defined Fontana's treatment of subjects and themes in her paintings. Excellent status as a daughter, wife, and mother was a prerequisite to her career due to the moral standards of the day. Demand for portraits of family and children rose due to the Roman Catholic Church's emphasis on family values. The influence of

Mannerism Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

is noticeable in Fontana's close attention to detail in her paintings and the significance of the materials surrounding the subject. Her close attention to detail displayed the wealth of the sitter, which made her popular among the rich. Fontana's self-portraiture strikes a balance between presenting the artist as a distinguished lady and as a professional artist. This depiction of two coexisting roles was common for sixteenth-century women artists.

Legacy

Fontana has been called "the most significant and prolific female artist of the 16th century." Fontana's ''Self-Portrait at the Virginal with a Servant'' is considered to be her masterpiece. It was painted as a betrothal gift to the Zappi family as evidenced by the Latin inscription in which Fontana describes herself as a virgin and states that she painted while looking at herself in a mirror, a testament to the accuracy of the depiction. ''(Lavinia Virgo Prosperi Fontane/Filia Ex Speculo Imaginem/Oris Sui Expressit Anno/MDLXXVII.)'' Over 100 works by Fontana are documented, but only 32 signed and dated works are known today. Twenty-five more works have been attributed to her, making hers the largest oeuvre for any female artist prior to 1700. Some of her portraits were once wrongly attributed to her contemporary

Guido Reni Guido Reni (; 4 November 1575 – 18 August 1642) was an Italian Baroque painter, although his works showed a classical manner, similar to Simon Vouet, Nicolas Poussin, and Philippe de Champaigne. He painted primarily religious works, but al ...

, another pupil of Denis Calvaert. ''Portrait of a Gentleman, His Daughter and a Servant'', originally attributed to

Pieter Pourbus Pieter Jansz. Pourbus (c. 1523–1584) was a Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting, Flemish Renaissance painter, draftsman, engineer and cartographer who was active in Bruges during the 16th century. He is known primarily for his religious and p ...

, is now attributed to Fontana. Fontana's mythology paintings with nude figures are being increasingly studied by art historians. Roman gods such as

Minerva Minerva (; ; ) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. She is also a goddess of warfare, though with a focus on strategic warfare, rather than the violence of gods such as Mars. Be ...

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...

, and

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

are depicted in various forms of undress in these paintings. There is little or no evidence that contemporary women artists depicted nude figures in such a way. It has been said that Fontana's depictions of mythology may be the first involvement of a female artist in the genre. Fontana "excelled in composing a new theme for female painters of her time to follow, that is, the depiction of mythological subjects, in particular the portrayal of nude female figures, as seen in her nude Minervas and Venuses. Fontana's new genre paved the way for

Artemisia Gentileschi Artemisia Lomi Gentileschi ( ; ; 8 July 1593) was an Italian Baroque painter. Gentileschi is considered among the most accomplished 17th century, 17th-century artists, initially working in the style of Caravaggio. She was producing professional ...

's depictions of female nudes in the seventeenth century. Fontana is immortalized as the subject of ''Portrait of a Woman'' (1595) by

Paolo Veronese Paolo Caliari (152819 April 1588), known as Paolo Veronese ( , ; ), was an Italian Renaissance painter based in Venice, known for extremely large history paintings of religion and mythology, such as ''The Wedding at Cana (Veronese), The Wedding ...

. She was the only woman artist featured in

Giulio Mancini Giulio Mancini (21 February 1559 – 22 August 1630) was a seicento physician, art collector, art dealer and writer on a range of subjects. His writings on contemporary artists like Caravaggio and Annibale Carracci remain one of our earliest sourc ...

's ''Considerazioni sulla pittura'' (Considerations on Painting). The naturalism of her paintings is highly praised and the beauty of her paintings is linked to her own physical attractiveness. Fontana influenced Alberto de' Rossi and

Alessandro Tiarini Alessandro Tiarini (20 March 1577 – 8 February 1668) was an Italian Baroque painter of the Bolognese School. Biography Alessandro Tiarini was born in Bologna. His mother died when he was a child, and he was raised by an aunt. Early on his fa ...

. Aurelio Bonelli may have studied under her.

Controversy

Nudity

Among art historians, there is a controversy regarding the means and models used by Fontanta to depict male and female nudes in her paintings. Fontana had studied her father's collection of sculptures and plaster casts, but Liana De Girolami Cheney argues that the naturalism of the figures may indicate that Fontana used live nude models. Caroline P. Murphy argues that while body parts are well rendered, the figures as a whole are disproportionate, similar to Prospero's rendering of human anatomy. Additionally, Murphy points out that during Fontana's lifetime, it was socially unacceptable for women to be exposed to nudity; if it was discovered that she used live nude models, her reputation would be tarnished. Murphy suggests that, like

, Fontana had family members model for her. Linda Nochlin writes that art academies barred women from viewing any nude body, despite this being a crucial part of an artist's training.

In museums

* ''Self-Portrait at the Virginal with a Servant'', 1577 –

, Rome
''Portrait of a Noblewoman,''
–

National Museum of Women in the Arts The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), located in Washington, D.C., is "the first museum in the world solely dedicated" to championing women through the arts. NMWA was incorporated in 1981 by Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay. Since openi ...

, Washington, D.C. * ''Portrait of a Couple,'' 1580–1585 –

Cleveland Museum of Art The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is an art museum in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Located in the Wade Park District of University Circle, the museum is internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian art, Asian and Art of anc ...

, Cleveland * ''The Dead Christ with Symbols,'' 1581 – Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Winter Park, Florida * '' Newborn Baby in a Crib'' –

Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna The National Art Gallery of Bologna (''Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna'') is a museum in Bologna, Italy. It is located in the former Saint Ignatius Jesuit novitiate of the city's University district, and inside the same building that houses the ...

* '' Portrait of the Gozzadini Family,'' 1584 – Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna * ''Portrait of Gerolamo Mercuriale,'' –1590 –

Walters Art Museum The Walters Art Museum is a public art museum located in the Mount Vernon, Baltimore, Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded and opened in 1934, it holds collections from the mid-19th century that were amassed substantially ...

, Baltimore * ''Holy Family,'' 1589 –

El Escorial El Escorial, or the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial (), or (), is a historical residence of the king of Spain located in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, up the valley ( road distance) from the town of El Escorial, Madrid, El ...

, Outside Madrid * ''Portrait of a Lady with Lap Dog,'' – Walters Art Museum, Baltimore
''Portrait of Costanza Alidosi,''
– National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. * ''The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon'', 1599 –

National Gallery of Ireland The National Gallery of Ireland () houses the national collection of Irish and European art. It is located in the centre of Dublin with one entrance on Merrion Square, beside Leinster House, and another on Clare Street, Dublin, Clare Street. It ...

, Dublin * ''Mars and Venus,'' c. 1600–1610 – Fundación Casa de Alba, Madrid * ''Minerva Dressing,'' 1613 –

Galleria Borghese The or Borghese Gallery is an art gallery in Rome, Italy, housed in the former Villa Borghese Pinciana. At the outset, the gallery building was integrated with its gardens, but nowadays the Villa Borghese gardens are considered a separate touri ...

, Rome * ''Birth of Virgin'' – Santissima Trinità,

* ''Consecration to the Virgin'' – Musee des Beaux-Arts, Marseilles, originally the Gnetti Chapel,

Santa Maria dei Servi, Bologna Santa Maria dei Servi is a Roman Catholic basilica in Bologna, Italy. It was founded in 1346, as the church of the Servites, Servite Community of the Blessed Virgin Mary and was designed by Andrea da Faenza, a head friar and architect who also as ...

* ''Jesus among the Doctors'' and ''Coronation of the Virgin'' – Part of the Mysteries of the Rosary in the Rosary chapel in the Basilica of San Domenico, Bologna * ''Portrait of a Gentleman, His Daughter and a Servant'' – Musée de la Chartreuse de Douai

Gallery

File:Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine by Lavinia Fontana, c 1577.jpg, ''Mystic marriage of Saint Catherine'', 1574–1577,

National Gallery of Victoria The National Gallery of Victoria, popularly known as the NGV, is an art museum in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is Australia's oldest and list of most visited art museums in the world, most visited art mu ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

File:Lavinia Fontana - Christ appears to Mary Magdalen. Noli me tangere, 1581 (cropped).jpg, ''Christ appears to

Mary Magdalen Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cr ...

. Noli me tangere'', 1581,

Uffizi The Uffizi Gallery ( ; , ) is a prominent art museum adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums and the most visited, it is also one of th ...

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

File:Lavinia Fontana - Assumption of the Virgin.JPG, ''

Assumption of the Virgin The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Catholic Mariology#Dogmatic teachings, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it on 1 November 1950 in his apostolic constitution as follows: It leaves open the question of w ...

with Saints Peter Chrysologus and Cassian'', 1584, Palazzo Comunale,

File:Lavinia Fontana Wedding Feast at Cana.jpg, '' Wedding Feast at Cana'', c. 1575–1580,

J. Paul Getty Museum The J. Paul Getty Museum, commonly referred to as the Getty, is an art museum in Los Angeles, California, United States, housed on two campuses: the Getty Center and Getty Villa. It is operated by the J. Paul Getty Trust, the world's wealthies ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

File:Lavinia Fontana - Ritratto di Costanza Alidosi (ca. 1595)FXD.jpg, ''Portrait of Costanza Alidosi'', c. 1595,

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

File:Lavinia Fontana Ritratto di Bianca Lucia Aliprandi,.jpg, ''Portrait of Bianca Lucia Aliprandi'', 1602, private collection File:Lavinia Fontana Christ and the Samaritan Woman at the Well.jpg, ''Christ and the

Samaritan woman at the well The Samaritan woman at the well is a figure from the Gospel of John. John 4:4–42 relates her conversation with Jesus at Jacob's Well near the city of Sychar. Biblical account The woman appears in : This episode takes place before the ...

'', unknown date, private collection File:Fontana Judith Holofernes.jpg, '' Judith and Holofernes'', unknown date, private collection File:Fontana Judith.jpg, '' Judith with the head of Holofernes'', 1590–1595,

National Museum in Kraków The National Museum in Kraków (), popularly abbreviated as MNK, is the largest museum in Poland, and the main branch of Poland's National Museum, which has several independent branches with permanent collections around the country. Established in ...

Notes

References

* * Cheney, Liana (Spring–Summer 1984). "Lavinia Fontana, Boston 'Holy Family'". ''Woman's Art Journal''. 5 (1). * * * * * * * Murphy, Caroline P. (1996). "Lavinia Fontana and 'Le Dame della Citta': understanding female artistic patronage in late sixteenth-century Bologna." ''Renaissance Studies.'' 10 (2). pp. 190–208. * Murphy, Caroline P. (1997). "Lavinia Fontana". ''Dictionary of Women Artists''. Vol 1. Delia Gaze, ed. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn. pp. 534–537. . * * Rocco, Patricia. ''The Devout Hand: Women, Virtue, and Visual Culture in Early Modern Italy''. McGill-Queens University Press, 2017. *

External links

*
''Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi''
a fully digitized exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries, which contains material on Lavinia Fontana (see index) {{DEFAULTSORT:Fontana, Lavinia 1552 births 1614 deaths 16th-century Italian painters 16th-century Italian women artists 17th-century Italian painters 17th-century Italian women artists Artists from the Papal States Catholic painters Female Catholic artists Italian Mannerist painters Italian portrait painters Italian Renaissance painters Italian women painters Painters from Bologna