Elisabetta Sirani

Key facts

Lived

1638–1665, Italian

Movement

• Baroque

Works held in

13 museums^[1]

• Allegory of Music

  Collection Rau for UNICEF

  Remagen, Germany

  1 works

  Museum details
• Saint mary with Jesus

  National Gallery of Armenia

  Yerevan, Armenia

  1 works

  Museum detailsMap

Plan your visit to see Elisabetta Sirani →

• How did elisabetta sirani die?+

  Elisabetta Sirani died in 1665 at the age of 27.
• What is Elisabetta Sirani's most famous work?+

  Elisabetta Sirani (1638-1665) was a prolific Bolognese artist, who, despite a short career, produced over 200 paintings, ten etchings, and many drawings. She is known for defying convention by painting historical subjects, a genre typically reserved for male artists. Although it is difficult to name one single "most famous" work, several paintings are noteworthy. Sirani's historical paintings often feature strong women. One example is Timoclea, painted in 1659 for Andrea Cattalani. It depicts Timoclea of Thebes throwing a Thracian captain down a well, a subject rarely portrayed by other Italian painters. This painting was created as a pendant to Judith Showing the Head of Holofernes to the Israelites. Another outstanding history painting is Portia Wounding Her Thigh. Sirani maintained a detailed record of her output in a journal, Nota delle pitture fatte da me Elisabetta Sirani (Note of Paintings Made by Me, Elisabetta Sirani), which lists 190 pieces. She also established a painting school for women, a progressive move at the time.
• What should I know about Elisabetta Sirani's prints?+

  Elisabetta Sirani (1638-1665) was a painter of the Bolognese School during the Baroque period. While she is not particularly known as a printmaker, it is important to understand the context of fine art prints in general. Original prints, such as woodcuts, engravings, or etchings, are produced by hand by the artist or under their direct supervision. Each print in a limited edition is considered an original work of art. The artist creates the artwork directly on the plate, block, stone, or screen. Each print is individually inked and pulled. The number of prints in an edition is decided by the artist, and each print is sequentially numbered (for example, 12/25, meaning it is the twelfth print in an edition of 25). The artist usually signs each print in pencil. Some artists also create a small number of artist's proofs, marked "AP". Reproductions, on the other hand, are copies of artworks originally created in another medium, such as painting. They are usually made using photomechanical means. Numbering and signing a reproduction does not make it an original print. The intent of the artist determines whether a work is an original print or a reproduction.
• What style or movement did Elisabetta Sirani belong to?+

  Elisabetta Sirani (1638-1665) belonged to the Baroque movement. The Baroque style, which blended emotion and drama with colour, contrast, and realism, was promoted by the Catholic Church as part of the Counter-Reformation. Sirani was from Bologna and trained in her father's studio. Her father, Giovanni Andrea Sirani, had been the principal assistant to Guido Reni from around 1630 to 1642. Some scholars believed Elisabetta's artistic skills exceeded those of her father. Sirani opened a painting school for women, teaching students from all backgrounds. She created large-scale religious compositions. Some contemporaries questioned her skill and speed, doubting she could have created so many paintings in a short time. To prove her ability, she invited observers to watch her paint. Like Artemisia Gentileschi, Sirani often painted strong female heroines from the Bible or classical literature. However, unlike Gentileschi, she followed a more classical style, similar to that of Annibale Carracci and Guido Reni.
• What techniques or materials did Elisabetta Sirani use?+

  Elisabetta Sirani (1638-1665) was an Italian Baroque painter from Bologna. She primarily used oil-on-canvas techniques. Seventeenth-century Italian painters aimed for verisimilitude, or realistic representation, in their work. This involved careful attention to detail, and the use of techniques that would allow the public to grasp a higher truth through the representation of natural appearances. Varnish played a role, especially regarding technical problems caused by absorbent grounds. Some artists described the thing itself; others described the impression on the beholder. Caravaggio, a contemporary, favoured soft brushes and a fluid oil medium, possibly linseed oil, to achieve smooth surfaces and fine detail. He sketched the composition outlines, then blocked in areas of colour with a large bristle brush. Subsequent paint layers were applied with softer brushes, and details added last using fine, soft brushes. Oil glazes modified the colours of the drapery. He prepared his excellent pigments and binders himself. The heavy, viscous binders of his early pictures allowed a fluid application.
• What was elisabetta sirani known for?+

  Elisabetta Sirani (1638-1665) was a painter from Bologna, known for her portraits and historical paintings. The daughter of painter Giovanni Andrea Sirani, who had been an assistant to Guido Reni, she trained with her father and surpassed him in skill, according to some. Sirani's career spanned only a decade, but she produced a large number of works; her journal lists 190 pieces. Some contemporaries doubted she could have created so many paintings in such a short time. To prove her skill, she invited critics to her studio and painted a portrait in one sitting. When her father became incapacitated, Sirani supported her family through her art. She also opened a painting school for women, a progressive move at the time. The school accepted girls and women of all backgrounds, and over 30 graduates went on to professional art careers. Sirani's paintings often featured capable women, such as Timoclea of Thebes and Portia. She died at the age of 27 and was buried in the same tomb as Reni.
• When did Elisabetta Sirani live and work?+

  Elisabetta Sirani was born in Bologna in 1638, and she died there in 1665 at the age of 27. The daughter of painter Giovanni Andrea Sirani, she trained with her father and supported her family after he became incapacitated around 1654. Sirani's career only lasted about ten years, but she was very productive. She kept a detailed record, Nota delle pitture fatte da me Elisabetta Sirani (Note of Paintings Made by Me, Elisabetta Sirani), listing 190 pieces. She painted portraits and history paintings. Some contemporaries doubted she painted so many works in a short time, but she invited them to her studio and painted a portrait in one sitting. Sirani also opened a painting school for women. She was buried in the same tomb as Guido Reni.
• When was elisabetta sirani born?+

  Elisabetta Sirani was born in 1638 in Italy. Elisabetta Sirani died in 1665, aged 27.
• Where can I see Elisabetta Sirani's work?+

  Paintings by Elisabetta Sirani are held in collections around the world. In France, her work can be seen at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Caen and the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Cherbourg. In Spain, the Prado Museum in Madrid holds paintings. The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, Russia also has examples. In the United Kingdom, paintings are held by the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham; the Dulwich College Picture Gallery; and the National Gallery in London. In the United States, you can find her paintings at the Baltimore Museum of Art; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge; the Art Institute of Chicago; the Detroit Institute of Arts; and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Other locations include the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Copenhagen and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.
• Where was Elisabetta Sirani from?+

  Elisabetta Sirani was from Bologna. Born there in 1638, she was the daughter of painter Giovanni Andrea Sirani, who had been an assistant to Guido Reni. Sirani trained with her father, and she later taught her sisters Barbara and Anna Maria. By the age of 17, she was producing significant pieces. Her career only spanned ten years, as she died at 27. She was very prolific, and she kept a record of her paintings in a journal, listing 190 pieces. Her contemporaries doubted the authenticity of these paintings, claiming she could not have rendered them all in such a short period. She invited her accusers to her studio and executed a portrait in one sitting. Elisabetta painted portraits and also historical subjects. When her father was stricken with gout, she became the family's breadwinner. She also established a painting school for women, which was a progressive move for the time.
• Who did Elisabetta Sirani influence?+

  Elisabetta Sirani (1638-1665) influenced a circle of female painters, training about a dozen women in her school of painting. This was the first school of painting for women outside a convent in Europe. Sirani taught not only daughters of painters but also women without family connections, such as Ginevra Cantofoli, Lucrezia Scarfaglia, Vincenza Fabri, Veronica Franchi, and Maria Elena Panzacchia. Her students painted similar subjects, but their works are now lost. Sirani's specialisation in history painting, considered the most important area of art, distinguished her from earlier female artists. She produced religious paintings, portraits, and mythological subjects. Her father, Giovanni Andrea Sirani, had been the principal assistant to Guido Reni. Some contemporaries saw Elisabetta as Reni's artistic reincarnation. She was buried in the same tomb as Reni in Bologna.
• Who influenced Elisabetta Sirani?+

  Elisabetta Sirani (1638-1665) was born in Bologna, the daughter of painter Giovanni Andrea Sirani. Her father had been the principal assistant to Guido Reni from about 1630 to 1642, and he trained Elisabetta in Reni's techniques and style. Sirani's family connections gave her greater opportunities than other female artists, and she received a well-rounded artistic education. Her father owned a collection of antique and modern books, including Pliny’s *Natural History*, Ovid’s *Metamorphoses*, Plutarch’s *Lives*, Vasari’s *Lives*, Boccaccio’s *La genealogia de gli dei de gentili*, a book on the saints, a handbook on medals, and Cesare Ripa’s *Iconologia*. These books provided iconographic information that was essential for her history paintings. Sirani is notable for painting historical and mythological subjects, which were typically the domain of male artists. Her works often feature strong women who defied traditional female roles. She produced only about fifteen portraits; religious subjects comprised the largest category of her paintings, with the remainder portraying allegories and subjects from classical history and mythology.