Female brushes

We have, at last in Italy, always considered the painting as a job to men, but also women has worked with brushes, and some exceptional case is the best female brush in Italy, this is Artemisia Gentileschi(1593-1654), and other that has worked in painting and they have reached results very important; but other countries are in painting and female painting? Certainly yes, the British women, although we must hear these words: “and in the matter of painting the voice of prejudice has had still more to say”(from book, Women Painters of the World, p.49); painter as Catherine Read(1723-1778), a Scottish painter that has spent three years in Rome, and she has seen Rubens and his light, and his cloth(Figs.6-7), we can understand it to his portraits(Figs.1-3), but I think that she has also seen and studies Guido Reni(Figs.4-5) type of face are very near to Reni. But neither Angelica Kauffman(1741-1807) is escaped to influence of Peter Paul, the cloths of some figure is very specular(Figs.8-9), she accented the color, that in Rome, during 17^th century, has predominated, despite of line and drawing, that is prevailing during Neoclassicism(Fig.10), the color is but is very tempered, and the line of graphical work and concept is predominant, stead in Angelica is covering color, certainly Vasari could despise it, but century go, in Latin tempora currunt; anyway a middle choose between color and drawing, is took by Sofonisba Anguissola(1532-1625), that has took the style(Figs.11-12) of hers master Bernardino Campi(1522-1591), and has followed this style(Figs.13-14); same direct influence that has had Elisabetta Sirani(1638-1665), that has took directly(Figs.15-16), because hers master, from Guido Reni(Figs.4-5), and the last is Rosalba Carriera(1673-1757), that keeps all the effervescence of color and lightness of sign of 18^th century(Figs.17-18), the light is directly from France and Baroque, in Rome, but Rosalba is from Venice where Tiepolo(1696-1770) has predominated. Anyway, the painting isn’t alone male work, and women are likewise clever and influenced.

Alessandro Lusana    

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