Lavinia Fontana

Born to the prominent painter Prospero Fontana in Bologna, she received her training from him. This was a rare opportunity for a woman at the time and served as the foundation for her professional career.²

AugLavinia Fontana was baptised on August 24, 1552, in Bologna.¹

Lavinia Fontana painted her earliest known work, "Child of the Monkey," in 1575 at the age of 23.¹

Early in her career, she gained popularity for small devotional paintings on copper. Their luster and detail made them highly valued as papal and diplomatic gifts.²

Christ with the Symbols of the Passion, painted in 1576, is one of Lavinia Fontana's early surviving works.¹

In 1577, she married Gian Paolo Zappi under a unique contract where she continued her career while he managed the household. He served as her agent and assistant while they raised 11 children.²

Lavinia Fontana married Gian Paolo Zappi in 1577, the same year she painted "Self-Portrait at the Virginal with a Servant."¹

She was highly sought after by Bolognese noblewomen for portraits. She maintained warm relationships with her clients, some of whom became godmothers to her children.²

In 1593, Lavinia Fontana painted the "Assumption of the Virgin" for the chapel altarpiece of Bologna Cathedral.¹

Following Counter-Reformation principles, she created religious art that aligned with Church theory. Her portraits reflected the family values emphasized by the Catholic Church.²

In 1603, she moved to Rome at the invitation of Pope Clement VIII. She was appointed Portraitist in Ordinary at the Vatican and painted figures like Pope Paul V.²

She was the first woman elected to the Accademia di San Luca in Rome. Her high status was reflected in a bronze portrait medallion cast in her honor in 1611.²

Lavinia Fontana painted "Minerva Dressing" in 1613.¹

AugLavinia Fontana died in Rome on August 11, 1614, at the age of 61.¹