Art of Beauty by Mannerist painters Lavinia Fontana and Sofonisba Anguissola

This seminar aims to study the paintings of two successful female painters from the sixteenth century, a period known as Italian Mannerism. The art of Lavinia Fontana (1552–1614) from Bologna and Sofonisba Anguissola (1532–1625) from Cremona was renowned for its composition, design, and inventive coloration. Their artwork brimmed with symbolism, showcasing beauty and elegance through their brushstrokes. Fontana was the first woman in the sixteenth century to depict a female nude. Anguissola was the first female artist of this era to be appointed court painter to the Queen of Spain. Their art flourished through their journeys and the intellectual communities they engaged with in Rome, Genoa, and Palermo.

Group Leader: LIANA DE GIROLAMI CHENEY
Venue: Online
Meets on: Thursday 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Starting: Feb 6
Sessions: 4
Class Size: 25
Teaching Style:
Weekly Preparation: None
Liana De Girolami Cheney received a Ph.D. in art history from Boston University and is a professor emerita of Art History at UMASS Lowell. She is a Renaissance and Mannerist scholar, author, and co-author of numerous articles and books, including Botticelli’s Neoplatonism in his Mythological Painting; Giorgio Vasari’s Teachers: Sacred and Profane Love; Giuseppe Arcimboldo: The Magic Painting; Giorgio Vasari’s Artistic and Emblematic Manifestations; Giorgio Vasari’s Art Theory; Agnolo Bronzino: The Florentine Muse; Self-Portraits by Women Painters; Lavinia Fontana’s Mythological Paintings; and Barbara Longhi from Ravenna.