Researchers have been exploiting historical archives to answer such questions as, What were the lives of women artists like in early modern Italy? Did their creative production take its cues from the social, cultural and professional circumstances that characterized their careers? Did they operate workshops similarly to male artists? Did their techniques for attracting patronage and setting prices follow the example of male artists? Where else besides the professional artist’s studio did women engage in the visual arts? Are there works of art by women artists that can be identified, dated or otherwise clarified by means of archival evidence? This conference offers an opportunity for comparing findings on early modern women artists and for examining a range of useful archival strategies and historiographic methodologies.
