She is regarded as the first woman artist, working within the same sphere as her male counterparts, outside a court or convent. Continuing the family business was typical at the time. Lavinia Fontana's brief biography in Malvasia's Felsina pittrice states quite explicitly that the major reason for her success as a painter in Bologna was the kind of clientele that she could command.2 First, Malvasia gives primary importance to her relationship with the Boncompagni family, who gave her The earlier literature cited in this work should be supplemented by reference to Anne Sutherland Harris and Linda Nochlin, Women Artists, 155o-195o, New York 1976, pp. Her large and renowned body of work encompasses several genres, including altarpieces, history paintings, and portraits. Characteristic of Fontana's images is the incorporation of textured and embroidered fabrics and rich gold jewelry set with pearls and rubies. Lavinia Fontana est l'unique enfant de Prospero Fontana et d'Antonia de' Bonardis. All Rights Reserved. She is regarded as the first female career artist in Western Europe as she relied on commissions for her income. She is regarded as the first woman artist, working within the same sphere as her male counterparts, outside a court or convent. "Lavinia Fontana," http://www.nmwa.org/legacy/bios/bfontana.htm (January 15, 2002). She was one of the first women to execute large, publicly commissioned figure paintings. Lavinia Fontana was an Italian Female Artist born on August 24, 1552. She is best known for her successful portraiture, but also worked in the genres of mythology and religious painting. Her earliest known work, "Child of the Monkey", was painted in 1575 at the age of 23. Fontana studied with her father, Prospero Fontana (c. 1512–97), a minor painter of the school of Bologna, who taught his daughter to paint in the Mannerist style. The Women's Chronology, edited by James Trager, Holt, 1995. Tweet. She was the first woman artist to paint female nudes, and was the main breadwinner of a family of 13. That same year, Fontana created a likeness of Venus and Cupid, Lavinia Fontana (August 24, 1552 – August 11, 1614) was an Italian painter. Features of Lavinia Fontana's art. Her father, Prospero, was a painter at the local school and taught his daughter all he knew about the craft. Lavinia Fontana (1552, Bologna — 11 August 1614, Rome) was an Italian artist of the late Renaissance, a representative of Mannerism. Lavinia Fontana (August 24, 1552 – August 11, 1614) was a Bolognese Mannerist painter active in Bologna and Rome. Unlike most female artists of the period, Lavinia received encouragement at home, where her father taught her to paint. In 1581 she completed "Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalen" in the balanced dark-against-light style of Antonio Correggio. Artprice.com's price levels for this artist are based on 90 auction results. Name: Lavinia Fontana Bith Date: 1552 Death Date: August 11, 1614 Place of Birth: Bologna, Papal States Nationality: Gender: Female Occupations: artist, painter. In addition to the medal already discussed in the article, Fontana is the subject of Portrait of a Woman, 1595 by Paolo Veronese (Cheney, et al 2000). Sofonisba Anguissola, Lavinia Fontana and Artemisia Gentileschi (in rigorous chronological order) are the three woman painters celebrated and requested in their days, rediscovered and carefully studied in recent years for they to be assigned a coherent collocation in the art history. The Lavinia Fontana Study Pack contains: Biographies (1) Lavinia Fontana 1,031 words, approx. She was the daughter of Prospero Fontana (1512 – 1597), an accomplished and well traveled artist of the Bolognese School. As the first woman to be commissioned for public paintings, Fontana earned membership in the prestigious Roman Academy. Fontana excelled at the depiction of the female form, either alone or in groups, as exemplified in "Portrait of the Gozzadini Family" (1584), a psychologically complex grouping. She is regarded as the first woman artist, working within the same sphere as her male counterparts, outside a court or convent. Continuing the family business was typical at … Bolognese painter Lavinia Fontana was the most significant and prolific woman artist of Renaissance Europe. Lavinia Fontana, Self-Portrait with the Spinet Accompanied by a Handmaiden (1577). Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Son père est peintre de la contre-réforme très en vogue auprès des papes. She is known as the first woman artist to paint female nudes. Biography of Lavinia Fontana . NATIONAL MUSEUM of WOMEN in the ARTS Artist’s Biography Find an in-depth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. She was trained by her father Prospero Fontana who was a teacher at the School of Bologna. Biography. Therein she is elegantly dressed in lace and jewels and studying archeological finds on shelves and a table, likely as preparation for sketching them. Lavinia Fontana worked in the same areas as her male rivals, who did not find patronage at courts and monasteries. To assist her work, Zappi abandoned his career, kept Fontana's accounts, and tended the couple's 11 children, of whom only three outlived their mother. She is considered the first woman to carry out large private and public commissions. The Art Newspaper is the journal of record for the visual arts world, covering international news and events. Son père est peintre de la contre-réforme très en vogue auprès des papes. In addition, in 1589 she painted the altarpiece Holy Family with the Sleeping Christ Child for El Escorial in Madrid. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Take for instance Lavinia Fontana. They formed a working partnership that supported her career, allowing her to accept a growing number of commissions for baroque portraits, small paintings, and religious art. This worldly renowned artist, was born in the late sixteenth century at a time where women had very little clout when it came to expressing themselves through art. She is regarded as the first woman artist, working within the same sphere as her male counterparts, outside a court or convent. “Lavinia Fontana and Female Life Cycle Experience in Late Sixteenth Century Bologna.” In Picturing Women in Renaissance and Baroque Italy, edited by Geraldine A. Johnson and Sara F. Matthews Grieco. In 1611, during Fontana's residence in Rome, sculptor Felice Antonio Cassoni cast a medal to honor her contribution to the arts. 4 pages. Lavinia Fontana (August 24, 1552 – August 11, 1614) was an Italian painter. Gallery Lavinia Fontana (1552-1614) | All 23 Artworks | Buy Museum Art Reproductions . Lavinia Fontana was born in Bologna, the daughter of the painter Prospero Fontana, who was a leading painter of the School of Bologna at the time and served as her teacher. Other articles where Martyrdom of St. Stephen is discussed: Lavinia Fontana: …painted her largest work, the Martyrdom of St. Stephen, an altarpiece for San Paolo Fuori le Mura in Rome, a basilica that was destroyed in the fire of 1823. The altarpiece adorned one of Rome's seven pilgrimage centers, the church of San Paolo Fuori le Mura, until the building was consumed by fire in 1823 and the painting was lost. The Lives of Renaissance Women, http://www.bctf.bc.ca/lessonaids/online/LA9245.html (January 15, 2002). Lavinia Fontana (1552 - 1614) was active/lived in Italy. Continuing the family business was typical at the time. Copyright © 2020 LoveToKnow. Voir plus d'idées sur … She was the daughter of Prospero Fontana, a leading Bolognese exponent of Mannerism. Artist biography: Lavinia Fontana was born in Bologna, Italy in 1552. 24 sept. 2020 - Explorez le tableau « Lavinia FONTANA ( 1552 - 1614 ) » de CLODROCK, auquel 150 utilisateurs de Pinterest sont abonnés. She was the daughter of Prospero Fontana (1512-1579), a prestigious Bolognese painter with whom she trained and worked. Lavinia Fontana, connue aussi sous le nom de Lavinia Zappi (Bologne, 24 août 1552 - Rome, 11 août 1614) est une peintre italienne maniériste de l' école romaine. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Even within the responsibilities of being a mother of eleven children, she achieved much in style and work. Lavinia Fontana est l'unique enfant de Prospero Fontana, peintre de la contre-réforme très en vogue auprès des papes. She was the first woman artist to paint female nudes, and was the main breadwinner of a family of 13. Lavinia Fontana. Lavinia Fontana was irreproachable as a daughter and a wife and, although constantly overworked, she was also able to give birth to eleven children. A producer of over 135 sophisticated oil paintings, Lavinia Fontana (1552-1614) was one of the first female portraitists to seek commissions. Bolognese painter Lavinia Fontana was the most significant and prolific woman artist of Renaissance Europe. “The most significant and prolific female artist of the 16th century, Lavinia Fontana opened up opportunities… Fontana was born in Bologna, Italy in 1552. Venturing beyond traditional still lifes and set poses into high drama, she painted mythic and biblical figures on a grand scale and used as models female and male nudes. Her prolific body of work encompasses numerous categories of art, including single and group portraits, church altar art, and narrative and historic scenes. Son style typiquement maniériste peut être illustré par ce tableau qui emprunte au chef-d’œuvre de Pontormo de 1528tout en respectant les préceptes de compo… Self Portrait by Lavinia Fontana Source Image. See available paintings, works on paper, and prints and multiples for sale and learn about the artist. Unlike most female artists of the period, Lavinia received encouragement at home, where her father taught her to paint. By the late 1570s she was known in Bologna for painting fine portraits, including Self-portrait at the Harpischord and the very formal Gozzadini Family (1584). At the request of the Vizzani Chapel at the church of Santa Maria della Morte in Bologne, in 1590 Fontana painted "St. Francis of Paola Blessing a Child," now displayed in the city's Pinacoteca Nazionale. She was trained by her father Prospero Fontana moreover to was active in Bologna moreover to Rome. Lavinia Fontana (August 24, 1552 – August 11, 1614) was an Italian painter. Her large and renowned body of work encompasses several genres, including altarpieces, history paintings, and portraits. Such qualities are reflected in Fontana's self-portrait that now hangs in the Uffizi Gallery at Florence. Of her 135 works—the largest corpus of artwork by any woman from the Renaissance or before—only 32 are signed and dated. Lavinia was trained by her father and followed his Mannerist style. By the time she reached her thirties, Fontana was respected as a painter of devotional art. Biography of FONTANA, Lavinia (b. At age 27 she received a commission from Dominican scholar and church historian Pietro Ciaconio for the first of her two self-portraits, "Self-Portrait Seated at Her Desk," which features her in a composed, contemplative posture. She is considered the first woman to carry out large private and public commissions. 1552-1614 Lavinia Fontana est née à Bologne le 24 août 1552. Lavinia and the Other Famous Women in Bologna. Lavinia Fontana (August 24, 1552 – August 11, 1614) was an Italian painter. Biography. Accademia Nazionale di San Luca, Rome 2. The obverse pictures her in profile; the reverse depicts her as the symbolic female artist, too immersed in her work to tame her flowing hair. Born in Bologna in 1552, Lavinia Fontana was the daughter of cosmopolitan fresco artist and teacher Prospero Fontana, who established his reputation in Rome and joined Giorgio Vasari in adorning Florence's Palazzo Vecchio. In 1604 she painted her largest work, the Martyrdom of St. Stephen, an altarpiece for San Paolo Fuori le Mura in Rome, a basilica that was destroyed in the fire of 1823. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Unlike most female artists of the period, Lavinia received encouragement at home, where her father taught her to paint. Lavinia Fontana was born in Bologna, the daughter of the painter Prospero Fontana, who was a prominent painter of the School of Bologna at the time and served as her teacher. 1 The only modern biography of Lavinia Fontana is Romeo Galli, Lavinia Fontana, Pittrice (1552-1614), Imola 1940. She was the daughter of Prospero Fontana (1512-1579), a prestigious Bolognese painter with whom she trained and worked. Lavinia Fontana (August 24 1552-August 11 1614) was an Italian painter.. Corrections? She was one of the first women to execute large, publicly commissioned figure paintings. She was trained by her father Prospero Fontanawho was a teacher at the School of Bologna. She was the main breadwinner of a family of 13. Her earliest known work, "Child of the Monkey", was painted in 1575 at the age of 23. She was elected a member of the Roman Academy, a rare honour for a woman. Encyclopedia of World Biography on Lavinia Fontana A producer of over 135 sophisticated oil paintings, Lavinia Fontana (1552- 1614) was one of the first female portraitists to seek commissions. For "Visit of the Queen of Sheba," which now hangs in Dublin's National Gallery, Fontana improvised a demanding narrative scene that depicts the unnamed queen's royal presentation to Solomon albeit in Renaissance costume and court. Lavinia Fontana est l'unique enfant de Prospero Fontana et d'Antonia de' Bonardis. LAVINIA FONTANA’S CLEOPATRA THE ALCHEMIST 1161 conversion activities.5 These cultural events were probably noted by Fontana, especially when Pope Paul V requested that she painta two portraits: one of the Persian Ambassador residing in Rome, and the other of 1 Biography; Study Pack. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lavinia-Fontana, Virtual Uffizi Gallery - Biography of Lavinia Fontana, Lavinia Fontana - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Prospero Fontana fut également un professeur réputé qui enseigna à Agostino et Ludovico Carracci. A producer of over 135 sophisticated oil paintings, Lavinia Fontana (1552- 1614) was one of the first female portraitists to seek commissions. Unlike most female artists of the period, Lavinia received encouragement at home, where her father taught her to paint. Lavinia was an artist more complete then Sofonisba who, on the other hand, was maybe a more refined intellectual. Omissions? She was also the main breadwinner of a family of 13. Popes Gregory XIII and Clement VIII each posed for her in ceremonial regalia and the Vatican offered her commissions normally contracted to male artists. Standing before an urn, the regal figure suggests the Renaissance era's immersion in Eastern subjects. They didn’t know each other, either. Her earliest known work, … Born in Bologna in 1552, Lavinia Fontana was the daughter of cosmopolitan fresco artist and teacher Prospero Fontana, who established his reputation in Rome and joined Giorgio Vasari in adorning Florence's Palazzo Vecchio. Fontana was the first woman artist to paint female nudes, and possibly the first female to use live nude female models. As confirmed by documents published by the mother and son from classic mythology who superintend passion and infatuation. From overcoming oppression, to breaking rules, to reimagining the world or waging a rebellion, these women of history have a story to tell. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Fontana’s works were admired for their vibrant colour and the detail of the clothes and jewelry that her subjects wore. Her Visit of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon is her most ambitious surviving narrative work. She is regarded as the first woman artist, working within the same sphere as her male counterparts, outside a court or convent. She was the daughter of Prospero Fontana, a leading Bolognese exponent of Mannerism. She was elected a member… The altarpiece adorned one of Rome's seven pilgrimage centers, the church of San Paolo Fuori le Mura, until the building was consumed by fir… biographie Lavinia était la fille du peintre maniériste Prospero Fontana , dans l'atelier duquel pourrait dessiner, à côté des enseignements de son père, à un large éventail d'expériences picturales, Emilia (de Parmigianino à Pellegrino Tibaldi), Veneto (Veronese, Jacopo Bassano), Lombardie ( Sofonisba Anguissola ) Et la Toscane. Her family relied on her career as a painter, and her husband served as her agent and rai… Lavinia Fontana (August 24, 1552 – August 11, 1614) was an Italian painter. In a 1585 painting she depicted Egyptian monarch Cleopatra cloaked in red and adorned with a jeweled hat and veil. She is regarded as the first woman artist, working within the same sphere as her male counterparts, outside a court or convent. He was willing to subordinate his career to her own; he also became her agent. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). An Italian painter regarded as the first woman artist, Lavinia Fontana was also the first woman to paint female nudes.A daughter of the prominent artist Prospero Fontana, she made great strides in the field of portraiture, becoming famous within and beyond Italy.She was also commissioned to paint religious and mythological themes, which sometimes included nudes. Art critics surmise that Zappi also painted some of the drapery and background in Fontana's paintings. Born in Bologna in 1552, Lavinia Fontana was the daughter of cosmopolitan fresco artist and teacher Prospero Fontana, who established his reputation in Rome and joined Giorgio Vasari in adorning Florence's Palazzo Vecchio. She came under the influence of one of her father's pupils, Ludovico Carracci, founder of Bologna's academy. Lavinia Fontana’s early years are comparable to those of most women artists. Lavinia Fontana was born in Bologna, the daughter of the painter Prospero Fontana, who was a prominent painter of the School of Bologna at the time and served as her teacher. In addition to her career as an artist, she was the mother of 11 children. Lavinia Fontana (August 24, 1552 – August 11, 1614) was an Italian painter. It is known that the artist played spinet (a smaller type of clavichord) and could read Latin. Her prolific body of work encompasses numerous categories of art, including single and group portraits, church altar art, and narrative and historic scenes. Get notified when Lavinia Fontana's biography is … Her earliest known work, "Monkey Child", was painted in 1575 at the age of 23. Lavinia Fontana was born in Bologna, the daughter of the painter Prospero Fontana, who was a prominent painter of the School of Bologna at the time and served as her teacher. She is best known for her successful portraiture, but also worked in the genres of mythology and religious painting. The city’s prosperous economic and social situation account for the prominent role of women in its cultural, religious, social and artistic life. She was the first woman artist to paint female nudes, and was the main breadwinner of a family of 13. She is regarded as the first woman artist, working within the same sphere as her male counterparts, outside a court or convent. Continuing the family business was typical at the time. Lavinia Fontana, connue aussi sous le nom de Lavinia Zappi (Bologne, 24 août 1552 - Rome, 11 août 1614) est une peintre italienne maniériste de l'école romaine au succès incontesté. She was trained by her father Prospero Fontana and was active in Bologna and Rome. Here is yet another fabulous lady in history, Lavinia Fontana. Updates? Biographie [modifier | modifier le code]. 11 1-14, 341. They didn’t know each other, either. 1552, Bologna, d. 1614, Roma) in the Web Gallery of Art, a searchable image collection and database of European art and architecture (200-1900) Desiring a work to grace the grand Escorial Palace in Madrid, Philip II of Spain commissioned Fontana to paint an altarpiece, "The Holy Family with the Sleeping Christ Child.". Fontana used imagination to recreate images from the past. Lavinia Fontana se forme dans l'atelier de son père, où elle rencontre les artistes et les mécènes de la ville . Sofonisba Anguissola (1535-1625) and Lavinia Fontana (1552-1614) are two artists I didn’t know. 1552, Bologna, d. 1614, Roma) in the Web Gallery of Art, a searchable image collection and database of European painting, sculpture and architecture (200-1900) She went to school at Mannerist School. Women's World, edited by Irene Franck and David Brownstone, Harper Perennial, 1995. Son père, Prospero Fontana (1512-1597), était un peintre maniériste qui travailla pour le pape Jules III et à la réalisation des fresques du Palazzo Vecchio de Florence avec Giorgio Vasari. In 1603, after her father's death, Fontana was a recipient of a rare honor, particularly for a female artist, when Pope Clement VIIII summoned her to an audience in the papal palace. She also received an academic education. After about 1600—when she executed Vision of St. Hyacinth, a work commissioned by the cardinal of Ascoli—Fontana’s work was introduced to Rome; she moved to Rome three years later and continued painting portraits and altarpieces. Accademia Nazionale di San Luca, Rome 2. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Lavinia Fontana (August 24, 1552 – August 11, 1614) was an Italian painter. In 1577 Fontana married the minor painter Gian Paolo Zappi. She was the first woman artist to paint female nudes, and possibly the first female to use live nude female models[2]. Biographie. Lavinia Fontana (August 24, 1552 – August 11, 1614) was an Italian painter. Lavinia Fontana, (born 1552, Bologna [Italy]—died August 11, 1614, Rome), Italian painter of the Mannerist school and one of the most important portraitists in Bologna during the late 16th century. This extensively illustrated book is the first comprehensive study of Fontana in the English language. Lavinia Fontana studied not only painting. Lavinia Fontana (August 24, 1552 – August 11, 1614) was a Bolognese Mannerist painter best known for her portraiture. The work contrasts a bevy of over-dressed aristocratic ladies with the simple demeanor of a saint performing a sacred task. Lavinia Fontana (1552, Bologna — 11 August 1614, Rome) was an Italian artist of the late Renaissance, a representative of Mannerism. She also received an academic education. She is considered the first ever woman artist to work within the same sphere as her male counterparts, independently and outside a royal court or convent. US: +1 (707) 877-4321 FR: +33 977-198-888. Renaissance painter Lavinia Fontana was commissioned to make not only portraits, the typical subject matter for women painters, but also religious and mythological themes, which sometimes included female nudes. Fontana contributed to the Italian Renaissance movement and died on August 11, 1614. The painting, now housed in Florence's Uffizi Gallery, captures the rapt attention of a familiar bible figure moved by a glimpse of Christ. In 1603, after her father's death, Fontana was a recipient of a rare honor, particularly for a female artist, when Pope Clement VIIII summoned her to an audience in the papal palace. In addition to the medal already discussed in the article, Fontana is the subject of Portrait of a Woman, 1595 by Paolo Veronese (Cheney, et al 2000). Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Meet extraordinary women who dared to bring gender equality and other issues to the forefront. Son père est peintre de la contre-réforme très en vogue auprès des papes. Lavinia Fontana. Sofonisba Anguissola (1535-1625) and Lavinia Fontana (1552-1614) are two artists I didn’t know. She was the first woman artist to paint female nudes, and possibly the first female to use live nude female models[2]. She was trained by her father Prospero Fontana and was active in Bologna and Rome. Lavinia Fontana, Self-Portrait with the Spinet Accompanied by a Handmaiden (1577). Lavinia was trained by her father and followed his Mannerist style. Lavinia Fontana était une femme peintre, originaire de Bologne, qui a connu un grand succès de son vivant. Her large and renowned body of work encompasses several genres, including altarpieces, history paintings, and portraits. Lavinia Fontana was an Italian Artist. In this same period, Fontana completed "The Dead Christ with Symbols of the Passion" and "The Holy Family," the latter an undated piece that creates an adult triad of the Virgin Mary and Elizabeth comparing the virtues of their toddler sons Jesus and John the Baptist, while the third figure, a colorless Joseph, looks on in the background. Lavinia Fontana, (born 1552, Bologna [Italy]—died August 11, 1614, Rome), Italian painter of the Mannerist school and one of the most important portraitists in Bologna during the late 16th century. She surrounded this musical group with a variety of instruments: cittern, cornetto, harp, hurdy-gurdy, recorder, viol, and viola da braccio. Both financially and critically successful, Fontana was a representative painter of the Italian mannerist school, earning a reputation for pose, detail, and the use of a delicate palette. She was born in Bologna, Italy in 1552, and died in the year of 1614. Lavinia Fontana was born in Bologna, the daughter of the painter Prospero Fontana, who was a prominent painter of the School of Bologna at the time and served as her teacher. Fontana's work was lucrative enough to support her family. At her father's studio Fontana met painter Giano Paolo Zappi and married him when she was twenty-five. Fontana proved to be quite talented and continued to excel throughout her childhood. In the undated "Allegory of Music" she painted a female keyboardist at the virginal accompanied by three males, two lute players and a vocalist. She is regarded as the first woman artist, working within the same sphere as her male counterparts, outside a court or convent. Continuing the family business was typical at the time. Lavinia Fontana (August 24, 1552 – August 11, 1614) was a Bolognese Mannerist painter active in Bologna and Rome.