b'elisabetta siraniSCMA ACQUIRED THIS DRAWINGby Bolognese artist Elisabetta Sirani at auction in early 2020. It joins a growing group of self-portraits in the SCMA collection, the majority of them by male artists. This drawing is the earliest self-portrait by a woman to enter the collection and records Sirani as she wished to present herself to the world. It will be useful for teaching as it adds another dimension to the history of portraiture and may be compared to other early women artists in the collection, such as her fellow Bolognese artist, Lavinia Fontana, and Dutch artist Maria van Oosterwyck.Sirani was included in Carlo Cesare Malvasias Felsina pittrice biography with other celebratedBolognese artists. Malvasia notes her effortless light-ness of touch and her unaffected sense of elegance, which may be observed in this finely executed chalk drawing. Details such as the curls that frame her face, the varied fabrics of her dress and the flush in her cheeks render this an intimate image that providesto women, such as still life and portraiture, to make a view into the character of the artist. Whether thislarge-scale paintings with religious and historic drawing was created in preparation for one of hersubjects. Although her life was cut short at age 27, painted self-portraits or served a more personal she was extremely prolific and enjoyed a successful purpose is unknown. It is likely that Sirani used a career. Among her many accomplishments was the mirror to record her likeness, as was common prac- founding of her art academy, where she trainedtice at the time. She looks directly out at the viewerboth women and men, and notably accepted women with a self-assured gaze. who did not come from artistic families to learn the This portrait captures her formidable spirit arts of drawing and painting.as one of the first women to move beyond theexpectations of a woman artist of her time. Shesoon surpassed her father, her first teacher, andElisabetta Sirani. Italian, 16381665. Self Portrait, ca. 1658. Black and moved beyond the genres traditionally assigned red chalk on paper. Purchased with the Diane A. Nixon, class of 1957, Fund, and the gift of the Almathea Charitable Foundationart acquisitionhighlights71'