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Renaissance

Levina Teerlinck, The estimated date of Levina's birth is 1515. According to other sources, she was born in 1520. At about the same time, Titian and Michelangelo lived and worked with her. Her ancestors were famous Flemish artists and even kept their own portrait workshop in Ghent (the territory of modern Belgium). Levina's father was married twice and hoped to have a son in order to pass on the family's artistic heritage to him and teach him the art of painting. From two marriages, six daughters of a dynasty of artists were born. Levina was the eldest of them, and it was she who continued the family tradition. In the 1530s, the artist was recognized as a talented master of miniatures far beyond her native land. Together with her family, she moved to London, where she began to serve at the court of Henry VIII.
Sofonisba Anguissola, the future student of Michelangelo, she was born in 1532 in northern Italy. All her sisters (there were three of them) were artists, but only Sofonisba was able to achieve wide recognition. When she was 22, she came to Rome, where her talents were noticed by the Italian artists of the day, including Michelangelo. He began to give her advice on the art of painting and his assessment of the work. For several years in a row, Michelangelo sent Sofonisba his drawings and recommendations so that she could develop her own talent.

In 1558, Sofonisba went to Milan and met the Duke of the Spanish city of Alba there. She painted his portrait, which aroused the admiration of the aristocrat. He decided to contact King Philip II of Spain and recommend Sofonisba for the position of court painter. The following year, she began painting formal portraits of members of the royal family.
Katharina Van Hemessen, Katharina was born in 1527 in Antwerp, the Netherlands. Her art teacher was Jan Van Hemessen, her own father and a well-known Flemish painter of the time. Katarina had a small selection of teachers, given that only boys from 9 to 14 years old were accepted into the art workshops. At first, Katarina painted portraits to order. They came out so realistic that, despite informal prohibitions, she was accepted into the Guild of St. Luke - an association of recognized artists, sculptors and printers. A little later, Katarina was given three students whom she taught her art. The story goes that the portraits of Katarina were to the taste of the Duchess Maria of Austria. In 1556, she invited the artist to Spain, where she moved with her court. Katharina agreed, thereby securing a prosperous future for herself and her family on a life annuity from the Flemish Duchess. Two years later, due to the death of Mary, the Austrian artist had to return to Antwerp. There she continued to work as a portrait painter until her death in 1587.