Plautilla Nelli: The Renaissance Nun Who Ran a Flourishing Art Workshop

Plautilla Nelli (Florence, 1524–1588) is recognized as the first female painter mentioned in Giorgio Vasari's 'Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects.' Born Margherita, she entered the Convent of Santa Caterina in Florence at age 13 after her mother's death and her father's remarriage. Despite her cloistered life, she established a successful workshop within the convent, producing works for Florence's high bourgeoisie and aristocracy. Her clients believed paintings by a nun carried a sacred aura. Nelli's style is noted for its feminine features—even her male figures and Christ appear with soft, womanly traits, as seen in her 'Last Supper' for the refectory of Santa Maria Novella. She tackled ambitious subjects like the Cenacle, challenging Leonardo da Vinci's precedent. Vasari praised her for never painting 'Christs' but 'Christs' (feminine), and for populating scenes with numerous female figures. Her training likely came from observing works by Fra' Bartolomeo and Lorenzo di Credi owned by the convent, and from fellow nun Maria Cleofe di Lorenzo. Nelli's legacy is that of a pioneering female artist who overcame gender and religious constraints to achieve recognition in Renaissance Florence.