A Space of Their Own

An image of Christ descending from the cross, being held by several figures. The setting is a landscape, with a tree directly behind the figure group. Christ’s body is pale, and the figures are closely grouped, looking at him.

Christ with the Symbols of the Passion

1576
Lavinia Fontana, Christ with the Symbols of the Passion, 1576. Oil on panel, 40 x 30 cm. El Paso Museum of Art.
El Paso Museum of Art

The artist sits at a clavichord, shown at half-length and turned so her right side is visible. She looks out directly at the viewer. Behind her, another woman brings her sheet music. In the background, the room is furnished with a bench, a window, and an empty easel. An inscription at the top left corner of the painting identifies the artist.

Self-Portrait at the Clavichord with a Servant

1577
Lavinia Fontana, Self-Portrait at the Clavichord with a Servant, 1577. Oil on canvas, 27 x 24 cm. Accademia di San Luca, Rome.
Accademia di San Luca, Rome

In this round self-portrait, the artist is shown seated, at half-length, looking directly at the viewer. She wears a sixteenth-century gown with a large lace collar and an embellished cross necklace. She is holding a pen in her right hand, poised over a blank sheet of paper. There are sculptural models on shelves behind her and she is identified by a gold inscription.

Self-Portrait in the Studio

1579
Lavinia Fontana, Self-Portrait in the Studio, 1579. Oil on copper, 15.7 cm diameter. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

A nude woman has just removed her clothing and armor; she looks back at the viewer over her shoulder. The composition is full-scale, and the background is an ambiguous, classicized setting. A small putto sits behind her looking at her helmet.

Minerva Dressing

1613
Lavinia Fontana, Minerva Dressing, 1613. Oil on canvas. Galleria Borghese, Rome.
Galleria Borghese, Rome

A half-length portrait of a woman in an ornate sixteenth-century gown, embellished with jewels. The gown is red, gold, and white, with a high collar and she wears a matching headband in her hair. Her right hand rests on a small brown and white dog that is standing on a small table to the side with its two front paws on the skirt of her gown.

Portrait of a Noblewoman

ca. 1580
Lavinia Fontana, Portrait of a Noblewoman, ca. 1580. Oil on canvas, 115 x 89.5 cm. National Museum of Women in the Arts.
National Museum of Women in the Arts

A full-length portrait of a woman seated in a red velvet chair. She is elegantly dressed in an elaborate sixteenth-century gown with a lace collar and embroidered details. A small white and brown dog sits on her lap, and she places her right hand on him. The table next to her has a small glass vase with flowers and some gold jewelry.

Portrait of Costanza Alidosi

ca. 1595
Lavinia Fontana, Portrait of Costanza Alidosi, ca. 1595. Oil on canvas, 157.5 x 120 cm. National Museum of Women in the Arts.
National Museum of Women in the Arts

A small painting of the holy family in an ornate frame. The Infant Jesus is sleeping on his side while Mary and Joseph look down at him. The Infant Saint John the Baptist also looks down at him. The background is green drapery.

Holy Family with Infant St. John

ca. 1600
Attributed to Lavinia Fontana, Holy Family with Infant St. John, ca. 1600. Oil on copper, 18.1 × 14.6 cm. Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University.
Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

A half-length portrait of a woman in an elaborate dress with ornate details and lace at her collar and her sleeves. The colors of the background and her dress and whites and browns. She holds a small brown and white dog in her lap and looks directly at the viewer.

Portrait of a Lady with a Dog

n.d.
Lavinia Fontana, Portrait of a Lady with a Dog, n.d. Oil on panel, 97.1 x 72.4 cm. Auckland Art Gallery.
Auckland Art Gallery

A Space of Their Own

Lavinia Fontana

Selected Works