A Tale of Two Women Painters: Sofonisba Anguissola and Lavinia Fontana

For the first time the Prado Museum exhibits works by Sofonisba Anguissola and Lavinia Fontana, both 16th-century painters, Spanish artist Anguissola with the court of King Felipe II and Italian artist Fontana with Pope Clement VIII. At a time when women were denied access to the Fine Arts, and especially painting, the particular conditions that surrounded these artists and their extraordinary talent made it possible for them to make a living by painting, becoming just as valued as – or in some cases more valued than – their male counterparts. In this exhibition the artists' most important works come together and share space with works by contemporary artist María Gimeno, who has created a series of pieces that dialogue with those of Anguissola and Fontana and highlight the invisibility of women artists through the centuries.