Liana De Girolami Cheney

Barbara Longhi - Illuminating Women Artists Liana De Girolami Cheney

This is the first book to focus solely on Barbara Longhi (1552-1638) as an artist. The book presents an overview of the life and work of the artist, bringing together the information that is known about Longhi supplemented with recent findings from the author's own research, such as new discoveries about Longhi's domestic situation. It explores the world of painters from a region of Italy (Ravenna) not usually considered by art historians, as being outside the 'golden triangle' of Rome-Florence-Venice.

In contrast to previous publications on the artist, which have taken an archival and connoisseurship approach, the focus in this book is on iconography and interpretation. The author examines the significance of Longhi's paintings in relation to her perspective as a female painter during the Counter-Reformation.