Sofonisba Anguissola and Catharina De Hemessen: Two exemplary women artists of the Renaissance

The purpose of this study was to compare the lives and art of 2 women painters. In general, Renaissance women were not expected to have careers; moreover, women were not welcome in the male-dominated art world of the 16 th century. In this thesis, the primary focus has been the difficulties which these 2 women artists encountered in attempting to have painting careers and how they were able to become successful in spite of and, in some cases, because of the sociological circumstances of the time. The thesis has also examined selected portraits and explored the artistic connections between the 2 painters.;This study has shown that these women were innovative pioneers in their field, who by their example encouraged other women to pursue careers as artists; it has demonstrated that 2 of Catharina's paintings profoundly influenced Sofonisba's self-portraits; and it has introduced new information about the lives and art of both artists, which in some instances refutes or clarifies previously existing research.