Caterina Tarabotti Unveiled
Date Issued
September 2024
Author(s)
DOI
10.1515/9789048559725
Abstract
Caterina Tarabotti (1615–1693) never identified herself as a painter in contemporary
documents or claimed authorship of any picture with her signature. She would have
surely joined the ranks of the many anonymous women painters of her time, were
it not for the art critic and historian Marco Boschini (1602–1681). In his La Carta
del Navegar Pitoresco (1660), Boschini was the first to notice Caterina’s talents and
provide information about her life.1
Alluding to her namesake saint and surname,
Boschini infused the painter’s biography with lyric flair. A light coming out of the
Varotari workshop, Caterina was, according to Boschini, a virgin very gifted in
painting. She herself honored art with her achievements, which came effortlessly.
Comparing her to a silver lamp that never burns out, the author, with a sense of
optimism, concluded that Caterina would live forever and her name would bear
eternal light and splendor.
documents or claimed authorship of any picture with her signature. She would have
surely joined the ranks of the many anonymous women painters of her time, were
it not for the art critic and historian Marco Boschini (1602–1681). In his La Carta
del Navegar Pitoresco (1660), Boschini was the first to notice Caterina’s talents and
provide information about her life.1
Alluding to her namesake saint and surname,
Boschini infused the painter’s biography with lyric flair. A light coming out of the
Varotari workshop, Caterina was, according to Boschini, a virgin very gifted in
painting. She herself honored art with her achievements, which came effortlessly.
Comparing her to a silver lamp that never burns out, the author, with a sense of
optimism, concluded that Caterina would live forever and her name would bear
eternal light and splendor.
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Name
Women Artists and Artisans in Venice and the Veneto, 1400-1750.pdf
Size
5.89 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
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