Van Dyck's Portrait of Sofonisba Anguissola: A Masterpiece Story
In 1624, the Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641) traveled to Palermo, Sicily, to meet the Italian painter Sofonisba Anguissola (c. 1532–1625). On July 12, he created a sketch of her in his Italian sketchbook, which is now housed at the British Museum. Van Dyck mistakenly thought she was 96, while she was actually 92 and passed away the following year. Despite her advanced age, she provided him with guidance on the use of light. He later produced an oil portrait (42 x 33.5 cm) of her, currently located at Knole, Kent, resembling the initial sketch. Its provenance is unclear, possibly associated with Arabella Diana Cope. The British government accepted it for tax purposes in 2012, and it is exhibited at Knole alongside a portrait of Caterina Cornaro. Anguissola is recognized as a significant late Renaissance artist.
Key facts
- Anthony van Dyck visited Sofonisba Anguissola in Palermo on July 12, 1624.
- Van Dyck sketched her in his Italian sketchbook, now at the British Museum.
- Anguissola was 92 at the time, not 96 as Van Dyck believed.
- She died the following year, in 1625.
- The painted portrait is an oil on panel measuring 42 x 33.5 cm.
- The painting is at Knole in Kent, England, and was allocated to the National Trust in 2012.
- Anguissola studied with Bernardino Campi and Bernardino Gatti.
- She was praised by Michelangelo and Giorgio Vasari.
Entities
Artists
- Anthony van Dyck
- Sofonisba Anguissola
- Titian
- Bernardino Campi
- Bernardino Gatti
- Michelangelo
- Giorgio Vasari
- Catherine Fitzgerald
Institutions
- British Museum
- National Trust
- Netherlands Institute for Art History
- Buonarroti Archives
Locations
- Antwerp
- Italy
- Genoa
- Rome
- Venice
- Padua
- Mantua
- Milan
- Turin
- Palermo
- Cremona
- Spain
- Florence
- London
- Kent
- England
- Knole