Sofonisba Anguissola (b. Cremona, Duchy of Milan, c. 1532 – d. 1625, Palermo, Kingdom of Sicily), also known as « Sophonisba Angussola » or « Sophonisba Anguisciola », was an Italian Renaissance painter born in Cremona. The Spanish queen, Elizabeth of Valois, was a keen amateur painter and in 1559, Anguissola was recruited to go to Madrid as her tutor, with the rank of lady-in-waiting. She later became an official court painter to the king, Philip II, and adapted her style to the more formal requirements of official portraits for the Spanish court. After the queen’s death, Philip helped arrange an aristocratic marriage for her. She moved to Sicily, and later Pisa and Genoa, where she continued to practice as a leading portrait painter.
Address: Via Sofonisba Anguissola, Milan, Italy