ANGUISSOLA, Italian family of painters

Six sisters from a noble family of Cremona, daughters of Amilcare Anguissola and Bianca Ponzoni, were painters of some renown: Sofonisba Anguissola, Lucia Anguissola, Europa (c. 1542–c. 1578), Elena (active 1546–84), Minerva (active 1558–69) and Anna-Maria (c. 1555–c. 1611) Anguissola. Sofonisba and Elena studied painting with Bernardino Campi from c. 1545 and with Bernardino Gatti from 1549. Elena entered the convent of San Vincenzo in Mantua, where she was recorded in 1585. The sisters were visited by and written about by Vasari, who seemed particularly taken with the talents of Sofonisba over the other sisters.