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Italy’s Lost Women Artists Are Being Found And Rewritten Into History

Written by jnkgazmy on . Posted in News.

Listen now on Speaking of Travel®

There’s something quietly extraordinary unfolding in Italy, inside museums, churches, and hidden archives where history has long rested in silence.

For centuries, luminous works of art created by women were tucked away, overlooked, or forgotten. Not because they lacked brilliance, but because their stories were never fully told. And still, they remained, waiting, holding their place in time.

Today, that silence is beginning to lift.

In this episode of Speaking of Travel, we’re joined by Jane Adams, co-founder and CEO of Artemisia Gold, and Susan Glimcher, whose work is helping to gently return these artists, and their voices, back into the world.

As Jane shares, “It feels less like discovering something new, and more like listening… as if these women have been speaking all along, and we are finally quiet enough to hear them.”

Together, they reflect on the beauty and emotion of restoration, not just of paintings, but of presence. Of stories re-emerging. We also explore the enduring legacy of Artemisia Gentileschi, whose life and work continue to resonate so deeply today, reminding us of the strength and resilience of women throughout history.

This is more than art. It’s a return. A remembering. A quiet but undeniable shift in how we see, and who we choose to see, when we look at history. And now, as this movement grows, Italy opens its doors and invites you to step into these stories and witness history alive again.

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Plautilla Bricci’s Birth of the Virgin, Rome

Written by jnkgazmy on . Posted in Art In Need.

Plautilla Bricci Birth of the Virgin Restoration Project Sponsorship: $150,000 total budget; $60,000 raised to date, with $90,000 remaining to reach our goal. The project budget supports restoration, diagnostic analysis, documentation, scholarly research, media promotion, project management, and educational programming, including a scholarly Italian-English publication, documentary film, and public exhibition. We are thrilled to announce that $60,000 has already been raised, reflecting strong early support as we continue to secure the remaining funding. We would be tremendously grateful if you would consider making a donation toward the remaining $90,000 needed to complete this important restoration project.

PLAUTILLA BRICCI

First Architect and Painter of Rome

Portrait of an architect, Plautilla Bricci (?) (1655-1660). Private collection, Los Angeles.

  • INTRODUCTION

    In the Spring of 2026, Artemisia Gold, a non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration and advancement of masterworks by female artists, will undertake its next major initiative – the restoration of Plautilla Bricci’s monumental altarpiece Birth of the Virgin, located in the Church of Santa Maria in Campo Marzio in Rome.

    Hailed as the first female architect and painter of Rome, Plautilla Bricci was one of the most extraordinary figures of the 17th century. She stands out as a painter, architect, and polymath—often described as the only “universal” female artist of her time. According to Jane Adams, Founder and CEO of Artemisia Gold and leader of the restoration project, Bricci’s Birth of the Virgin is not only a magnificent artistic achievement but also a remarkable display of female agency for its time. The female Abbess Anna Maria Mazzarino commissioned the female artist Plautilla Bricci to paint a female-dominated composition—the Birth of the Virgin—an unusual occurrence in the 17th century. “That’s very rare and it’s very special.”

    Artemisia Gold aims not only to restore the physical integrity and visual brilliance of this remarkable work, but also to advance scholarly understanding of Bricci’s artistic practice, elevate her place within the canon of Baroque art, and share her legacy with a global audience through research, conservation, and education to inspire generations to come.

  • PROJECT OVERVIEW

    Plautilla Bricci (Rome, 13 August 1616 – Rome, 13 December 1705) was a singular figure of an artist active around the middle of the 17th century, unique among female artists in that, in addition to being a painter and architect, she was also a draughtsman, an amateur musician and even a sculptor.

    Plautilla Bricci’s Birth of the Virgin is a magnificent altarpiece (3.53m x 2.23m) located in the first chapel on the right of the Church of Santa Maria in Campo Marzio, located in the heart of Rome, very close to the Parliament and Piazza del Pantheon. The most recent studies point to the painter and “architect” Plautilla Bricci (Coppolaro 2023) as the author of the work on the basis of documentation.

    Bricci was famous in her time for having designed the Villa del Vascello on the Colle Gianicolo for Elpidio Benedetti, Cardinal Mazarin’s agent in Rome, as well as the Chapel of St. Louis in the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, for which she executed the architectural design and also the altarpiece. In the same church, the Contarelli chapel also houses Caravaggio’s three paintings of the Stories of St. Matthew. Her stature as a painter and her personality were brought to the attention of the general public with Melania Mazzucco’s novel L’architettrice (2019), and only recently have the catalogue of her works and the context of her activity been fully explored by art-historical studies (Lollobrigida 2021; Primarosa 2022; 2024), up to the exhibition Una Rivoluzione Silenziosa, Plautilla Bricci, Pittrice e Architettrice dedicated to her in 2023 at the Gallerie Nazionali d’Arte Antica in Palazzo Corsini.

    The painting is dated to the 1660s and was commissioned by Anna Maria Mazzarino, sister of the powerful cardinal and abbess of the monastery of Santa Maria in Campo Marzio. The scene takes place in an interior, with the figures arranged on different levels. In the foreground is the midwife surrounded by various other helpers, Saint Anne and the newborn Virgin. In the background to the right is the bed with the parturient, assisted by handmaids, surmounted by a large open drape as a backdrop. In the upper part is the divine participation in the scene, with an angel in the center, seated on clouds and surrounded by seraphim.

    The work is in a precarious state of conservation and is in desperate need of restoration. For this reason, it was decided to propose a project that would not only contribute to the preservation of the painting and its transmission to the future, but which would also be an opportunity to study – this would be the first – the technique used by the artist, the painting materials, and ultimately retrace the steps that led Plautilla to achieve such a fascinating result. Material choices condition the visual rendering of a painting, so: How

    did she design the composition? How did she process it on canvas? Are there compositional changes? What pigments did she use? What was her painting technique? The data that will be acquired can be placed in the context of the studies already available which have traced the painting back to the hand of Plautilla.

  • CONSERVATION COMMITTEE

    Artemisia Gold has engaged the following distinguished team of experts to complete the project: 

    • Restoration work: Lorenza M.G.D’Alessandro, Restauratrice Opere d’Arte
    • Scientific investigations: Emmebi Diagnostica Artistica
    • Art-historical consultancy: Marco Coppolaro PhD, Italian Ministry of Culture

  • EDUCATION INITIATIVES

    During the scientific investigation and restoration work, filming will be carried out for the production of an educational documentary film. At the end of the restoration, it is planned to hold a public presentation and a didactic exhibition in the church next to the painting, and to produce an Italian-English publication of scientific value for a wide audience. The complex of Santa Maria in Campo Marzio houses the Prosecutor’s Office of the Holy See of the Patriarchate of Antioch and is fully available to host the initiatives outlined here.

  • PROJECT INCLUDES:

    • Art history research
    • Diagnostic testing
    • Photographic campaign
    • Presentation of new volume
    • Press Conference and presentation of project
    • National and International press campaign
    • Presentation of the painting and comparisons of similar works Inaugural events

  • INFO

    • Artist: Plautilla Bricci
    • Technique: Oil painting on canvas
    • Subject: The Birth of the Virgin
    • Date: 1660
    • Size: 53m x 2.23m

Plautilla Bricci, The Birth of the Virgin, c. 1660. Church of Santa Maria in Campo Marzio, Rome; image courtesy of Consuelo Lollobrigida. 

  • Church of Santa Maria in Campo Marzio, Rome – Exterior

  • Church of Santa Maria in Campo Marzio, Rome – Interior Alter

  • Church of Santa Maria in Campo Marzio, Rome, Plautilla Bricci, The Birth of the Virgin, c. 1660

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The School of Hibernia in Rome for St Brigid’s Day

Written by jnkgazmy on . Posted in News.

Published In: Visual Artists’ News Sheet (VAN)
Issue: March – April 2026, Issue 2
Author: Brenda Moore-McCann
Source Credit: Visual Artists’ News Sheet — Visual Artists Ireland
PDF: View full article

Published in the March–April 2026 issue of Visual Artists’ News Sheet, this article by Brenda Moore-McCann reflects on the Rome presentation of The School of Hibernia, a landmark contemporary artwork by the Irish collective Na Cailleacha.

Originally conceived in Dublin, the project reinterprets Raphael’s School of Athens through a feminist lens, replacing its canonical male figures with 41 contemporary women from across disciplines including art, science, politics, literature and activism. Captured in a large-scale photographic tableau by Ros Kavanagh, the work functions both as a reimagining of art history and a powerful collective portrait of female achievement.

The Rome iteration, organised by Ireland–Italy Projects and co-founded by Jane Adams, formed part of the celebrations for St Brigid’s Day, Ireland’s female patron saint. Hosted in the crypt of the Chiesa Santa Brigida in Piazza Farnese, the programme included a symposium featuring leading figures such as Professor Arnold Nesselrath, Catherine Marshall, Professor Rachel Moss and Caroline Campbell, among others.

Discussions explored themes ranging from revisions of art historical narratives to the role of women in science and cultural production, reflecting the interdisciplinary spirit of the project. The event continued at Cinema Farnese Arthouse with a series of performances, screenings and discussions, including the premiere of Rootstock (2024), a documentary tracing the evolution of The School of Hibernia.

As highlighted in the article, the work stands as both a critical intervention into the patriarchal structures of Western art history and a celebration of contemporary women shaping cultural and intellectual life today.

Michaelina Wautier at the Royal Academy

Written by jnkgazmy on . Posted in Tours & Events.

Hosted by: Art History in Focus
Lecturer: Prof. Katlijne Van der Stighelen
Date & Time: Thursday, 28 May, 6:00 PM (BST)
Format: Live Online Lecture

Michaelina Wautier at the Royal Academy is a live online lecture presented by Art History in Focus, offering an exclusive introduction to the Royal Academy’s major exhibition dedicated to this rediscovered 17th-century master.

Active in Brussels during the Baroque period, Michaelina Wautier is now recognised as one of the leading artists of her time, despite centuries in which her works were misattributed or overlooked. Her rediscovery is largely due to the pioneering research of Professor Katlijne Van der Stighelen, who first identified her authorship and has since dedicated decades to reconstructing her legacy.

This lecture provides unique insight into Wautier’s artistic range — from portraits and still lifes to ambitious history paintings — and introduces key works featured in the Royal Academy exhibition (27 March – 21 June 2026).

The session will also explore the story behind her monumental Triumph of Bacchus, a work that challenged long-held assumptions about the scope and ambition of women artists in the 17th century.

The lecture lasts approximately one hour, including a live Q&A, and a recording will be available for a limited time following the event for registered participants.

How to Attend

Her Art, Part 4: From Muse to Maker: Women Artists Reclaim Modernism

Written by jnkgazmy on . Posted in Tours & Events.

Hosted by: Art with Tosca
Date & Time: March 31, 2026
Format: Online Lecture
Sign Up: Eventbrite

Her Art, Part 4: From Muse to Maker: Women Artists Reclaim Modernism continues the lecture series dedicated to rediscovering women artists whose contributions have long been overlooked.

Hosted by Art with Tosca, this session examines a pivotal moment in early 20th-century art, when women began to move beyond their traditional roles as subjects and muses to become recognised as creators and innovators in their own right.

The lecture explores how these artists challenged dominant narratives, asserted authorship over their work, and played an active role in shaping modernism. By reframing the historical lens, the session highlights the intellectual and creative agency of women artists who helped redefine artistic production during this transformative period.

Through this exploration, the lecture contributes to a broader re-evaluation of art history, expanding the canon to include voices and practices that have too often been excluded.

Her Art, Part 3: Breaking Boundaries at the Dawn of Modernism (1900–1930)

Written by jnkgazmy on . Posted in Tours & Events.

Hosted by: Art with Tosca
Date & Time: March 24, 2026
Format: Online Lecture
Sign up: Eventbrite — Art with Tosca

Her Art, Part 3: Breaking Boundaries at the Dawn of Modernism (1900–1930) is part of an ongoing lecture series dedicated to rediscovering women artists who have been historically overlooked.

Hosted by Art with Tosca, this session focuses on a transformative period in art history, when modernism began to take shape and artists challenged long-established academic traditions. The lecture examines how women artists actively participated in — and contributed to — this shift, despite institutional barriers that often excluded them from formal recognition.

Spanning the early 20th century, the talk highlights key figures who pushed artistic and social boundaries, redefining genres, experimenting with new forms of expression, and asserting their place within the evolving modern art movement.

Through a broader cultural and historical lens, the lecture offers insight into how these artists not only responded to modernity but helped shape it — laying the groundwork for future generations and expanding the canon of art history.

Her Art, Part 1: Trailblazers of the Early Modern Period

Written by jnkgazmy on . Posted in Tours & Events.

Before women had access to formal academies and artistic training, they found ways to defy expectations and make their mark. Presented in celebration of Women’s History Month, ‘Her Art: The Legacy of Women Artists Through the Ages’ explores the powerful and often overlooked contributions of women to the history of art.

For centuries, women artists have created powerful, innovative works while navigating social, institutional, and cultural barriers that limited their visibility and recognition. Despite these constraints, they forged artistic careers, shaped major movements, and left a lasting impact on the history of art.

This four-part lecture series traces the evolving role of women artists from the early modern period to the mid-20th century. Each session focuses on a pivotal moment in art history, highlighting women from different countries and artistic traditions while examining both their creative achievements and the obstacles they faced.

From early pioneers working within courtly, familial, and religious contexts to modern artists who reclaimed authorship and artistic authority, Her Art offers a richly contextualized reassessment of women’s contributions to the visual arts.

Join Tosca Ruggieri in rediscovering these artists and the worlds in which they lived and worked—placing them back at the center of the story of art.

📅 March 3

Session summary

This lecture explores the pioneering women artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods—painters, sculptors, and artisans who navigated courtly patronage, convent workshops, and family studios to establish their careers. From Sofonisba Anguissola’s refined portraits to Artemisia Gentileschi’s dramatic Baroque canvases, we’ll examine how these artists overcame social restrictions to gain recognition in a male-dominated field.

Some of the artists featured include:

Sofonisba Anguissola · Artemisia Gentileschi · Lavinia Fontana · Properzia de’ Rossi · Judith Leyster

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Rediscovering Plautilla Bricci, Rome’s First Professional Woman Architect

Written by jnkgazmy on . Posted in News.

Author: Karen Chernick
Source/Credit: Artnet News — artnet.com

Plautilla Bricci was a prominent Baroque architect and painter, long overlooked in art history, whose work is now gaining renewed attention thanks to a major restoration initiative led by the nonprofit organization Artemisia Gold.

For visitors to Rome’s Church of San Luigi dei Francesi — famous for housing three Caravaggio masterpieces — the third chapel on the left might be familiar. That chapel, dedicated to San Luigi IX, was designed by Plautilla Bricci (1616–1705), a Baroque artist who remains unique in history as both an accomplished painter and Italy’s first professional woman architect.

Now, a new restoration project aims to bring heightened recognition to another significant work by Bricci: her painting Birth of the Virgin (ca. 1660), located in the first chapel on the right in the Church of Santa Maria in Campo Marzio. The large-scale canvas, depicting a crowded interior scene of the newborn Virgin attended by midwives while Saint Anne looks upward toward angels, has become the focus of Artemisia Gold’s conservation efforts.

“It is so dirty that we really have to start with the X-rays and then the cleaning work to discover what’s underneath,” said Jane Adams, co-founder and CEO of Artemisia Gold, underscoring both the challenges and the importance of the project. The restoration team — including art restorer Lorenza M.G. D’Alessandro, technical art historian Beatrice de Ruggieri, and art historian Marco Coppolaro — hopes not only to conserve the painting, but also to uncover more about its origins and commission. No visible signature remains on the canvas, so researchers are looking for other marks that may confirm Bricci’s authorship.

Bricci was a multitalented artist active in the mid-17th century. In addition to painting, she worked as an architect, sculptor, and even musician — remarkable roles for a woman in her time. Daughter of the artist Giovanni Bricci, she trained in his workshop and cultivated important artistic connections that propelled her career. During her peak creative period in her fifties, Bricci received support from patrons such as Abbot Elpidio Benedetti, which enabled her to take on ambitious projects and prestigious commissions.

The Birth of the Virgin restoration is part of a broader effort by Artemisia Gold to highlight historically significant works by women artists that have been neglected or forgotten. Previous restoration achievements by the nonprofit include work on paintings by Artemisia Gentileschi and Plautilla Nelli, positioning Bricci’s rediscovery within a growing movement to reclaim women’s contributions to art history.

Artemisia Gold Launches Internationally

Written by jnkgazmy on . Posted in News.

Published in:The Florentine
Issue: Year XXII, March 2026, Issue 331 – The Women’s Issue
Author: The Florentine Editorial Team
Source Credit: Reproduced from The Florentine, March 2026
PDF: View full article (Issue 331)

Artemisia Gold, Inc. has officially launched as a 501(c)(3) global nonprofit working in the United States, the UK and Europe to expand the mission of Artemisia Gold UK. Founded in 2020 by Jane Adams, who serves as president and CEO, the organization’s board includes vice president Susan Glimcher, executive director and advisor Mark Smith, as well as directors Susan Angelastro, Kiki Keating, Josephine Porciatti and Giovanni Porciatti.

Born from years of restoration work in Italy, Artemisia Gold is dedicated to reviving the legacy of long-forgotten artists, with a focus on women artists whose contributions have been obscured or overlooked for centuries. Through research, restoration and educational programs, the organization brings lost masterpieces and the stories behind them back into public view, ensuring that these paintings will be visible and their authors recognized.

“I am delighted to announce this important step for Artemisia Gold, Inc., which allows us to expand our mission across America, Europe and the UK,” remarks Jane Adams. “Throughout history, many artists have faced obstacles that led to their work being forgotten, misattributed or overlooked. Our role is to uncover this vital, forgotten artistic heritage and ensure these artists’ true stories are finally told.”

Over the past five years, Artemisia Gold has made significant strides, including publishing an in-depth analytical study of Artemisia Gentileschi’s Madonna and Child in collaboration with the Galleria Spada in Rome, and restoring another Gentileschi masterpiece, Sinite Parvulos Venire (Let the Children Come to Me), from the Church of San Carlo al Corso, Rome. This project was directed by Adams and made possible by the generous donation of fellow board member Mark Smith. These milestones reflect Artemisia Gold’s dedication to preserving and illuminating important works of art for a global audience.

In 2024, to celebrate the 500th birthday of Florence’s first recognized female artist, Suor Plautilla Nelli, Artemisia Gold co-sponsored and directed the restoration of two of her works: the monumental altarpiece Madonna of the Rosary in the Church of San Giuseppe and Santa Lucia in Montaione, and the panel Mother and Child with Saint Dominique, Saint Catherine, and Saint Agnes from a private Florentine collection. A Dominican nun and largely self-taught Renaissance painter, Nelli created exceptional art that was admired by her contemporaries. She also ran a thriving workshop at her convent overseeing the production of religious paintings and sculptures by her sister nuns. Her legacy, long overlooked, has gained increased recognition thanks to the rediscovery and restoration of her paintings.

In 2026, Artemisia Gold is embarking on its most ambitious chapter to date, launching two significant restoration projects that continue its mission to bring historically important works and the women who created them back into the light. The first, to be announced imminently, centres on a remarkable altarpiece by Plautilla Bricci, the pioneering 17th-century painter and Rome’s first female architect.

The organization will soon announce a new restoration project and launch an international art council program with distinguished honorary chairs Mary Garrard, Catherine Turrill-Lupi, Catherine Loewe and Siân Walters.

American art collectors Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt have also agreed to support the program. Bennett and Schmidt, who only collect works by women painters, are the founders of The Bennett Prize for Women Figurative Realist Painters and are the namesakes of the newly opened Bennett Schmidt Pavilion at the Muskegon Museum of Art in Muskegon, Michigan. Bennett and Schmidt are also committed to the conservation and restoration of works by Renaissance and Baroque painters. Accordingly, their collection contains paintings attributed to Plautilla Nelli, Artemisia Gentileschi and Diana de Rosa as well as works by contemporary women painters.

Plautilla Nelli’s “Holy Conversations” — In-Person & Online Lecture

Written by jnkgazmy on . Posted in Tours & Events.

On March 11 at 6 pm (CET), the Dutch Institute for Art History (NIKI) in Florence invites you to a hybrid lecture — available both in person and online — on Plautilla Nelli’s “Holy Conversations”. Hosted by Jane Adams and Dr. Catherine Turrill-Lupi, this talk delves into the life and art of Plautilla Nelli, the pioneering 16th-century Florentine painter and nun renowned for her devotional works. The session focuses on a group of small panel paintings — traditionally called sacra conversazione — now attributed to Nelli and sheds light on her prolific workshop at the Dominican convent of Santa Caterina da Siena. Attendees will gain insight into how these intimate religious compositions reveal the artistic practices and collaborative production of one of the Renaissance’s most compelling female artists.

Nederlands Interuniversitair Kunsthistorisch Instituut (NIKI) / The Netherlands Interuniversity Institute for Art History Florence, Italy. “Plautilla Nelli’s Holy Conversations”, a lecture by Prof. dr. Catherine Turrill-Lupi in collaboration with Jane Adams, president of Artemisia Gold. March 11, 2026.

For more information about the event, please visit: www.niki-florence.org