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In the article, one of her paintings is A Portrait of the Artist's Sisters Playing Chess and there's something about their facial features and expressions that

In the article, one of her paintings is A Portrait of the Artist's Sisters Playing Chess and there's something about their facial features and expressions that seem almost photorealistic, in an odd way. I was caught off guard and found myself staring at the painting for a good while: shorturl.at/dkAQ7 I've seen a number of paintings from that time period and a few hundred years after where the subjects are artistically styled, but I have a tough time imagining the subject "walking around in the modern world" and looking like someone I know. Take this painting by da Vinci, for instance: shorturl.at/dsMV3 The subject is beautifully lit and painted, but the subject doesn't seem like someone I'd see walking around today and as a result I'm disconnected from her. > "They appear alive,” wrote Renaissance art critic Giorgio Vasari [of Sofonisba's painting]" They do, indeed.

BlameKaneda 5y ago
Edit: Links didn't work. A Portrait of the Artist's Sisters: https://womennart.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/the_chess_game_-_sofonisba_anguissola.jpg?w=520&h=411 https://womennart.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/the_chess_game... Lady With an Ermine: https://www.legendarte.shop/pimages/Curiosita-sul-dipinto-Dama-con-l-ermellino-big-37-971.jpg https://www.legendarte.shop/pimages/Curiosita-sul-dipinto-Da...
- turrican 5y ago
  I understand what you mean, and have felt a connection to older art because the people look more “likely” or “realistic”. I’m having the exact opposite reaction to these two works though. “Lady With An Ermine” strongly reminds me of someone I used to know in college, while the faces in “Portrait of the Artist’s Sisters” don’t feel realistic to me. On the other hand, her “Boy Bit by Crawfish” is great and looks natural. Art is subjective I guess. As a side note, I’ve often thought that maybe facial structures were just different back then and these works really ARE realistic. Harder lives, more homogenous groups, or maybe even inbreeding led to different looking people!

BlameKaneda 5y ago

Edit: Links didn't work. A Portrait of the Artist's Sisters: https://womennart.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/the_chess_game_-_sofonisba_anguissola.jpg?w=520&h=411 https://womennart.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/the_chess_game... Lady With an Ermine: https://www.legendarte.shop/pimages/Curiosita-sul-dipinto-Dama-con-l-ermellino-big-37-971.jpg https://www.legendarte.shop/pimages/Curiosita-sul-dipinto-Da...

turrican 5y ago
I understand what you mean, and have felt a connection to older art because the people look more “likely” or “realistic”. I’m having the exact opposite reaction to these two works though. “Lady With An Ermine” strongly reminds me of someone I used to know in college, while the faces in “Portrait of the Artist’s Sisters” don’t feel realistic to me. On the other hand, her “Boy Bit by Crawfish” is great and looks natural. Art is subjective I guess. As a side note, I’ve often thought that maybe facial structures were just different back then and these works really ARE realistic. Harder lives, more homogenous groups, or maybe even inbreeding led to different looking people!