Virgin and Child
Title
Virgin and Child
Description
Sofonisba Anguissola was a prominent court painter for Phillip II of Spain, crafting several notable portraits in her time. Her parents encouraged her to receive a humanist education in the arts and sciences and be tutored in painting by prominent artist Bernardino Campi in her early life, which afforded her the opportunity to go to Spain. She maintained a presence there from 1559 to 1580, serving as court painter and lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth of Valois (Perlingieri, 10). She is considered the first Italian woman to gain international recognition for her art (Weisner-Hanks, 158).
Beyond just portraits, Anguissola painted several religious scenes throughout her life. This painting in particular is important because it shows how Renaissance styles came from Italy and were modified in Spain. Much of Sofonisba’s work was influenced by her early interactions with Michelangelo, who encouraged her to paint with tense poses and a distinct emotionality. Both are seen in this scene in child Christ’s stoic pose, and Mary’s loving look (Perlingieri, 10). The Virgin and Child was a scene painted/sculpted repeatedly throughout history and multiple copies can be seen at many art museums. Therefore, it also provides a solid point of comparison for observing how accepted Spanish styles differed from others of the era. Anguissola even did other versions of the painting at different points in her life, which included more color and different poses for the pair. One such version can be found in her 1556 self-portrait, which features her painting Mary face to face with the child Christ (Wikimedia).
Beyond just portraits, Anguissola painted several religious scenes throughout her life. This painting in particular is important because it shows how Renaissance styles came from Italy and were modified in Spain. Much of Sofonisba’s work was influenced by her early interactions with Michelangelo, who encouraged her to paint with tense poses and a distinct emotionality. Both are seen in this scene in child Christ’s stoic pose, and Mary’s loving look (Perlingieri, 10). The Virgin and Child was a scene painted/sculpted repeatedly throughout history and multiple copies can be seen at many art museums. Therefore, it also provides a solid point of comparison for observing how accepted Spanish styles differed from others of the era. Anguissola even did other versions of the painting at different points in her life, which included more color and different poses for the pair. One such version can be found in her 1556 self-portrait, which features her painting Mary face to face with the child Christ (Wikimedia).
Creator
Sofonisba Anguissola
Source
“Virgin and Child.” Europeana Collections. Accessed November 13, 2018. https://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/2020903/KMSsp77.html.
“Sofonisba Anguissola.” Wikipedia, November 5, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sofonisba_Anguissola&oldid=867399751.
Perlingieri, Ilya Sandra. "Sofonisba Anguissola's Early Sketches." Woman's Art Journal 9, no. 2 (1988): 10-14. doi:10.2307/1358314.
Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks, "Cultural and Intellectual Life" in Early Modern Europe, 1450-1789, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2013), 158
Date
1542-1623
Contributor
Teddy Wolfe
Rights
Free
Original Format
Painting (Oil on Canvas)
Physical Dimensions
Dimensions Netto : 56.2 x 49.7 cm
Citation
Sofonisba Anguissola, “Virgin and Child,” HIST 139 - Early Modern Europe, accessed July 20, 2025, https://earlymoderneurope.hist.sites.carleton.edu/items/show/25.