While the concept of the “Renaissance man” did not openly embrace female artists and scholars, some women of the era stepped up and defied expectations. In Sofonisba’s Lesson: A Renaissance Artist and Her Work (Princeton University Press), Michael W. Cole *99 tells the story of Sofonisba, daughter of a Lombard aristocrat who trained as a painter and taught a queen of Spain. Through her work, Cole analyzes the themes of women’s empowerment and education.
