Introducing Our New Donne D’Arte Collection

When I was envisaging this collection in my mind, I thought of the feminine, of women and of artists.

From this, I created 6 new colours; tonally of the same strength, they are very complementary and work well when
grouped together. They are calm, fresh, and serene, and they remind me of colours used in Renaissance art with a
softer, feminine twist.

Art has always been a point of inspiration and influence for me. Impressionism, Minimalism and Futurism styles have
been a constant, but the period that touches me the most is the Renaissance. It’s the beginning of everything; a time
of profound changes and achievements, laying the groundwork for many aspects of the modern world. The origins
of the movement began in Italy and marked the transition from medieval times to the early modern age.

I started searching for Renaissance female artists and discovered they are much harder to find than their male
counterparts. As skilled as they were, women could not express themselves within their professional lives or learn
from apprenticeships and academies in the same way that men could.

This collection is dedicated to the few Women Artists of the Renaissance who had the chance and determination to
make beautiful art and succeed in a world dominated by men, as well as to those women who couldn’t, whose art will
never be shared with the world. It is a celebration of, and a love letter to, the Renaissance women from my home
country.

 

Fede Galizia 1578-1630 Fede’s Ochre

Fede was a painter of still-life, portraits, and religious pictures. Known for her exquisite still-life paintings of fruit, she
is one of the earliest known artists of this genre in Europe. Largely overlooked for many decades, her paintings were
rediscovered in the 20th century, finally gaining Fede the recognition she deserved.

Propezia de Rossi 1490-1530 Propezia’s Neutral

A groundbreaking female sculptor and only one of four women to receive a biography in Vasari’s Lives of the Artists.
She studied painting, music, dance, poetry, and classical literature, and Propezia’s life is described by many as
transgressive. She liberated herself from traditional gender constraints through the act of self-creation.

Artemisia Gentileschi 1593-1656 Artemisia’s Pink

Artemisia was an incredible artist, internationally recognised for her talents, with works exhibited at esteemed fine art
institutions, such as the National Gallery in London. Raised only by her father, she lived most of her young life
surrounded by men and led a turbulent life filled with violence. She turned many of her brutal experiences into art.

Lavinia Fontana 1552-1614 Lavinia’s Russet

A Mannerist painter, Lavinia is regarded as the first female career artist in Western Europe. Her family relied on her
financially as a painter and her husband served as her agent, breaking traditional gender roles by raising their 11
children.

Sofonisba Anguissola 1532-1625 Sofonisba’s Green

Sofonisba received a good education that included fine arts, and her unusual apprenticeships with local painters set
a precedent for women to be accepted as students of art. She met Michelangelo, who recognised her talent, and
became the tutor of Elizabeth of Valois – the Queen of Spain.

Plautilla Nelli 1524-1588 Plautilla’s Graphite

Plautilla was a nun and self-taught artist, as well as the first ever known female Renaissance painter in Florence. Nelli
had the favour of many patrons, executing both miniatures and large pieces. Along with de Rossi, she is mentioned
in Vasari’s Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Architects.

Image Gallery: