Writer and Director: Howard Burton
When we think of artists working in Renaissance Italy, there aren’t many women’s names that spring to mind. With Michelangelo, Raphael and Da Vinci as your cultural heavyweights, there doesn’t feel like a lot of room left for those not in the Boys’ Club.
In their latest documentary, Ideas Roadshow turn their attention to a female artist who, in her lifetime, was revered by Giorgio Vasari and rated by Renaissance Alpha, Michelangelo himself.
Sofonisba Anguissola was born into a minor noble family in Cremona, Italy. The eldest of six children, Sofonisba’s father made the unusual decision to educate them all to an equally high standard. While Amilcare Anguissola wasn’t great with money, his enthusiasm in promoting his talented daughter is thoroughly endearing. He sent off her early portraits to people of influence; he even dared to send one of her drawings to Michelangelo. Sofonisba eventually secured a teaching role at the Spanish Royal Court. She dies in 1615, aged 93. The year before, she is visited by Anthony van Dyck, who reports that she has lost none of her mental acuity.
Focusing on a single work, the documentary goes with a group portrait, rather than one of Anguissola’s numerous self-portraits (the only artist who beats her on numbers is the ever self-regarding Rembrandt). The Game of Chess (1555), shows her sisters Lucia, Minerva and Europa in what can only be described as a checkmate moment. Lucia (also a notable artist), has just made the final move. Minerva, to her right, throws her hands up at the discovery she has been beaten. Impish and on the verge of laughter, Europa watches on. Sofonisba’s Chess Game breaks down not only what statement the artist is making, but the cultural significance of chess, why this board game. It is no accident that Sofonisba chooses a game of skill, rather than luck. It’s her whole life story.
The painting leans into themes of self-mastery, intellectual development and education. When we consider that this is the first Renaissance painting to feature exclusively female sitters, Anguissola’s message of substance over style becomes even more important. While the sisters are dressed fashionably, what we notice are their personalities beaming out at us. It is a riposte to the Renaissance feminine ideal: no Botticelli babes here. The film repeatedly shows us Anguissola in self-portrait mode. Dressed simply, Sofonisba’s gaze is frank and unapologetic. Her character is the study. Her psychological insight is briefly explored – more analysis would have been better – it is what makes her art feel so startlingly modern.
Choosing to pare back the amount of information delivered, works in the film’s favour. The pace feels measured, unhurried. Instead of packing in too much, we are given enough. Sofonisba’s Chess Game is not only a good introduction to the artist, it is a confident, well-balanced portrayal, placing her within a wider art-history context. Sofonisba Anguissola’s work is not only feminist at heart, she repositions the male gaze. The self-portrait, stripped of ego, becomes something much more profound.
Sofonisba’s Chess Game will be released on 24 July by Ideas Roadshow.
