Abstract

Why is painting unique among the visual arts? And why in the late sixteenth century did Cesare Ripa in his landmark Iconologia choose to create a distinctly female template for the act of painting? Moreover, why would a woman ever choose to paint herself as La Pittura (The Allegory of Painting)? This essay offers the thoughts of a painter-philosopher on the historic significance of the choice of topic, iconography, and gender of the most recognized allegory of Painting, namely the original textual description of the Italian writer Cesare Ripa on Pittura (1593) which was later illustrated by various artists (1603 and following). This pattern stands in contrast to an erosion of women’s influence in favor of men’s art: a norm that has internalized male privilege and power for centuries. Yet painting remains a medium that emphasizes women’s talents, particularly as they are embodied in Pittura.