Editing Sofonisba Anguissola (section)

==At the Spanish Court==
[[Image:Isabel von Valois by Sofonisba Anguissola.jpg|thumb|left|Portrait of [[Elisabeth of Valois|Queen Elisabeth of Spain]]]]
In 1558, already established as a painter, Anguissola went to Milan, where she painted the Duke of Alba, [[Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba|Fernando Álvarez de Toledo]]. He in turn recommended her to the Spanish king, [[Philip II of Spain|Philip II]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.oneonta.edu/faculty/farberas/arth/arth200/artist/sofonisba.htm|title=Sofonisba Anguissola|website=www.oneonta.edu|access-date=16 January 2019}}</ref> The following year, Anguissola was invited to join the Spanish Court, which was a turning point in her career.<ref name=":1" />

Anguissola was approximately 26 when she left Italy to join the Spanish court. In the winter of 1559–1560, she arrived in [[Madrid]] to serve as a court painter and lady-in-waiting to the new queen, [[Elisabeth of Valois]], Philip's third wife, who was herself an amateur portraitist. Anguissola soon gained Elisabeth's admiration and confidence and spent the following years painting many official portraits for the court, including Philip II's sister, [[Joanna of Austria, Princess of Portugal|Joanna]], and his son, [[Don Carlos, Prince of Asturias|Don Carlos]].

These types of painting were far more demanding than the informal portraits upon which Anguissola had based her early reputation, as it took a tremendous amount of time and energy to render the many intricate designs of the fine fabrics and elaborate jewelry associated with royal subjects. Yet despite the challenge, Anguissola's paintings of Elisabeth of Valois – and later of [[Anna of Austria (1549–1580)|Anne of Austria]], Philip II's fourth wife – were vibrant and full of life.
[[Image:Portrait of Philip II of Spain by Sofonisba Anguissola - 002b.jpg|thumb|271x271px|The Prado Philip&nbsp;II, now recognised as by Anguissola|alt=]]

During her 14-year residence, she guided the artistic development of Queen Elisabeth, and influenced the art made by her two daughters, [[Isabella Clara Eugenia]] and [[Catalina Micaela of Spain|Catherine Michaela]]. Anguissola painted a portrait of the King's sister, [[Margaret of Parma]], for [[Pope Pius IV]] in 1561 and, after Queen Elisabeth's death in childbirth in 1568, painted the likeness of [[Anna of Austria, Queen of Spain|Anne of Austria]], Philip's fourth wife. While she continued painting portraits at the court, the Althorp ''Self-Portrait'' is the "only securely attributed work surviving from this period".<ref>Marco Tanzi. "Anguissola." ''Grove Art Online''. ''Oxford Art Online''. Oxford University Press. Web. 14 February 2017. [http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T003005pg1 subscription required]</ref> For the royal family, Anguissola produced detailed scenes of their lives that now hang in the [[Prado]] Museum. With the gifts and a dowry of 12,000 scudi she earned along with her salary as court painter and lady-in-waiting to the queen, she amassed an admirable return from her craft.
[[File:Elizabeth.of.Valois.JPG|thumb|Elizabeth of Valois (Attr. Sofonisba Anguissola, 1561–1565). Museo del Prado, Madrid]]
[[File:La reina Ana de Austria, por Sofonisba Anguissola.jpg|thumb|Queen Anna of Austria by Sofonisba Anguissola]]

While in the service of Elisabeth of Valois, Anguissola worked closely with [[Alonso Sanchez Coello]]. So closely in fact, that the famous painting of the middle-aged King Philip II was long attributed to Coello or [[Juan Pantoja de la Cruz]]. Only recently has Anguissola been recognized as the painting's creator.<ref>''Museo del Prado, Catálogo de las pinturas'', 1996, p. 7, Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Madrid, {{ISBN|84-87317-53-7}}</ref>