Lavinia Fontana and her Bizarre Portrait
In the heart of Bologna, where Renaissance art flourished, a young woman dipped her brush into pigment, her hands steady with the certainty of experience. Lavinia Fontana, one of the earliest recorded female professional painters, worked by the glow of the afternoon sun, each stroke of her brush breathing life into the canvas. She was not just painting a portrait—she was telling a story.
Portrait of A Girl Covered in Hair (1594-95)
The subject before her was an extraordinary girl, covered in a soft layer of hair from her forehead to her hands. The girl, Antonietta Gonzales, was no ordinary child. Born with a rare condition known as hypertrichosis, her appearance had fascinated scholars and nobles alike. Yet, Lavinia saw beyond the spectacle. She did not see a curiosity for court entertainment but a child with a soul, deserving of dignity.
Lavinia had made a name for herself painting noblewomen and grand mythological scenes, but this commission was different. It was not about opulence or vanity. It was about truth—about capturing humanity where others saw only difference.
As she painted, she spoke gently to Antonietta, asking about her life, her family, and her dreams. Antonietta’s father, Pedro Gonzales, had been taken from his native land and given as a gift to a European noble, his rare condition turning him into a living curiosity. Yet, he had been educated and respected for his intellect. Now, his daughter faced the same world, where wonder and judgment intermingled in every gaze upon her.
Lavinia worked with precision, detailing Antonietta’s fine features—her intelligent eyes, her delicate lips. The fur that covered her face did not obscure her humanity. Rather, Lavinia made sure the painting told a different narrative than those who saw Antonietta as a mere oddity. She painted her in an elegant dress, holding a letter that spoke to her noble connections. It was a subtle declaration that the girl was more than just her condition—she was a person of standing, with thoughts and a future.
As Lavinia placed the final touches on the portrait, she realized how closely their lives mirrored each other. She, too, had faced expectations set by a world that did not easily welcome women into professions. Just as Antonietta defied the limitations placed upon her, Lavinia had defied those who believed a woman could not wield a brush as skillfully as a man.
When the portrait was finally revealed, it was not merely a work of art—it was a statement. Antonietta was not an anomaly to be pitied or marveled at. She was a young girl with dignity, captured by the hand of another woman who understood what it meant to be seen as an exception.
Lavinia Fontana would go on to become one of the most successful female artists of her time, painting for popes and nobility, carving a place in history where few women had been allowed before. And Antonietta? Her portrait would stand as a reminder that art, at its best, reveals not just how people look—but who they truly are.