Donna DiGiuseppeCritiques

During the quarantine, I set out to learn about women artists with whom I was unfamiliar. Lady in Ermine was the perfect place to start. The book is a biographical novel based on the life of painter Sofonisba Anguissola, who lived in 16th century Spain and Italy. The author, Donna DiGiuseppe, wisely included a Cast of Characters, which helped quite a bit, and there are several websites where a reader can see her paintings. The reader gets a glimpse of Aguissola's thought process with many of her paintings and how critical each detail is. Anguissola's astonishing life story, the status of women and family life during the late Renaissance, the plague, the politics of the court of Phillip II of Spain--all come to life to make this a fascinating read. Thanks to the author for bringing this long overlooked and exceptional Renaissance woman to light.