Sofonisba Anguissola - Renaissance Painter Who Defied Convention Sofonisba Anguissola (c. 1532 – November 1625) stands as a singular figure in the history of art, representing not only exceptional talent but also an audacious challenge to societal norms that prevailed during the Renaissance. Born into a noble family in Cremona, Italy—a rare circumstance for women of her time—Anguissola benefited from an upbringing remarkably progressi…