34 Female Old Masters on View at Palazzo Reale in Milan

Palazzo Reale in Milan presents 'Artemisia Gentileschi e le altre,' an exhibition of 130 works by 34 female artists from the 16th and 17th centuries, on loan from 67 lenders. Curated by Anna Maria Bava, Gioia Mori, and Alain Tapié, the show is supported by Fondazione Bracco and accompanied by a Skira catalogue. Featured artists include Artemisia Gentileschi, known for her Caravaggesque realism and personal history of surviving rape and trial; Sofonisba Anguissola, a protégée of Michelangelo who became the first internationally famous female Renaissance painter and the most prolific self-portraitist before Rembrandt; Lavinia Fontana, who produced altarpieces and intimate works despite restrictions; and Elisabetta Sirani, who created over 200 canvases in a decade. The exhibition also highlights Ginevra Cantofoli, Fede Galizia, and Giovanna Garzoni. Vasari mentioned early female artists like Antonia Doni, Plautilla Nelli, and Properzia de' Rossi. The show aims to reveal undercelebrated talents who worked in convents, courts, workshops, and academies.