Pliny the Elder's Natural History records first female painters

Pliny the Elder's Naturalis Historia, the first encyclopedia in history, contains the earliest written testimony of female painters. Born in 23/24 AD in Novum Comum (modern Como), Pliny died in the 79 AD eruption of Vesuvius. His 37-book work covers astronomy, geography, botany, and mythology, with art discussed in books 34-36. In book 35, he names five women painters: Iaia of Cyzicus, Timarete, Eirene, Aristarete, and Olympia. Iaia, born in Cyzicus in the 2nd century BC, moved to Rome and was renowned for rapid, faithful female portraits. Timarete, daughter of Mikon, lived in 2nd-century BC Greece and specialized in landscapes, animals, and hunting scenes. Eirene, daughter of painter Kratinos, lived in the late 2nd century BC and exhibited at the Temple of Eleusis, painting a portrait of Persephone. Aristarete, daughter of Nearkos, painted an Asklepios. Olympia, born in 3rd-century BC Alexandria, moved to Rome and opened a coeducational school, specializing in landscapes, portraits, and genre scenes. Como celebrates Pliny's 2000th anniversary with a new edition of Naturalis Historia incorporating recent scholarship.