Lavinia Fontana: Trailblazer, Rule Breaker

Delightful exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland looking at the 16th century artist Lavinia Fontana.

I’d read about this exhibition in the press but didn’t think I’d get to it but was delighted to find it would just have opened when I was in Dublin. I’d learnt about Fontana in various lectures but hadn’t seen much of her work in the flesh.

The show was clearly set out in themed rooms which also worked chronologically. Her early work was portraits of men, mainly scholars, then she moved on the paint the elite ladies of Bologna. I loved the latter portraits whose clothing she painted beautifully.

I wasn’t as convinced by her mythological, allegorical and religious work. For me they worked best when they included portraits.

It was an exhibition of firsts. She was the first woman to paint professionally outside of a convent or court, the first woman from whom we have attributed drawings, first woman to have a workshop under her and first woman to paint female nudes.

I’m so glad I got to this show. Sadly you couldn’t take photographs so have a picture of the poster.

Closes 27 August 2023

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