The ''Portrait of Elena Anguissola'' (alternative name: ''Portrait of the artist’s sister Elena in the garb of a nun''), dated to 1551, is one of the earliest paintings by

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 ...

. An oil painting on canvas, it is in the

Southampton City Art Gallery The Southampton City Art Gallery is an art gallery in Southampton, southern England. It is located in the Civic Centre on Commercial Road. The gallery opened in 1939 with much of the initial funding from the gallery coming from two bequests, o ...

, which acquired it in 1936.

Description

This portrait shows the nun

Elena Anguissola Elena Anguissola ( – 1584) was an Italian painter and nun. She was the sister of the better-known painter Sofonisba (or Sophonisba) Anguissola. Biography Elena Anguissola (who became a nun with the name of Sister Minerva) was the daughter of ...

, a novice with the name of Sister Minerva. The painting is signed and dated but difficult to read: : ''SOPHONISBA ANGUSSOLA VIRGO M'' ..''TERI AGO.TI PINXIT MDLI''. Flavio Caroli completed the inscription, adding the following: ''MONASTERI SANCTI AGOSTINI''. Elena Anguissola was a nun in the convent of di Sant'Agostino, in Mantua. The painting demonstrates the ability and expressive force of the painter, and the preference for an expressive physiognomy, typical of cinquecento painting in Lombardy. The attention to psychological expression illustrated here is also present in many other paintings by Sofonisba Anguissola. In ''

The Game of Chess Siegbert Tarrasch (; 5 March 1862 – 17 February 1934) was a German chess player, considered to have been among the strongest players and most influential theoreticians of the late 19th and early 20th century. Life Tarrasch was born in Bresla ...

'' (1555) and '' Self-Portrait at a Spinet'', the painter depicted female ability in playing chess or a musical instrument as an essential part of a young noble woman's education. The ''Portrait of Elena Anguissola'' was in the collection of the Earl of Yaborough, remaining there until 1936, when it was acquired by the museum in Southampton. According to Rossana Sacchi it was at one time attributed to

Titian Tiziano Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), Latinized as Titianus, hence known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian Renaissance painter, the most important artist of Renaissance Venetian painting. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near Belluno. Ti ...

. Only later was it recognised as a work of Sofonisba Anguissola and as of a portrait of her sister Elena. The portrait of the religious woman is done on a dark background. The young nun holds in her hands a tiny book covered with red leather and trimmed with gold. The style of the painting recalls

Correggio Antonio Allegri da Correggio (August 1489 – 5 March 1534), usually known as just Correggio (, also , , ), was an Italian Renaissance painter who was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the High Renaissance, who was responsible for som ...

Lorenzo Lotto Lorenzo Lotto (c. 1480 – 1556/57) was an Italian Renaissance painter, draughtsman, and illustrator, traditionally placed in the Venetian school, though much of his career was spent in other north Italian cities. He painted mainly altarpie ...

, and

Bernardino Gatti Bernardino Gatti (c.1495 – 22 February 1576) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance, active mainly in Parma and Cremona. He is also commonly called il Sojaro. He was born in or near Pavia or Cremona. His early apprenticeship is unclear, ...

. Anguissola lingers on certain details and captures the sweetness, and the intensity of the look and the calmness of the nun to create a silent and contemplative image, built around the almost solid geometries of the nun's costume..

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Portrait of Elena Anguissola Paintings in the United Kingdom Collection of Southampton City Art Gallery Portraits by Sofonisba Anguissola 1551 paintings