Anna Selbdritt (Virgin Mary and Child with Saint Anne), ca. 1660–1665
MediumGraphite and white chalk
Sheet dimensions24,6 × 18,4 cm
About the workDid Elisabetta Sirani draw feebly or with a steady hand? The appraisal of her work by connoisseurs and art critics differed greatly, depending on whether they wanted to disparage or praise the artist because of her gender. This depiction of the infant Jesus with Anne and Mary testifies to the now undisputed quality of her work. When Sirani died at the age of only 27, she left behind more than 150 paintings and a number of female students, whom she had taught since 1657. Her “accademia” in Bologna was the first artistic educational establishment for women.
AccessionCollection of the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
Provenance[…]; seit 1932 Dauerleihgabe der Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
Inventory numberKA (FP) 4015
