Mariangiola Criscuolo

Mariangiola Criscuolo (c. 1548–1630) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period, active mainly in her native city of Naples. She is known for portraiture and history painting, and excelled in painting altarpieces. She was also involved in the foundation of one of the first female-organized schools of art during the sixteenth century.

Born to painter Giovanni Filippo Criscuolo (died 1624); her uncle, Giovanni Angelo (Gian Angelo) was also a painter. She married the painter Giovanni Antonio di Amato the younger.

Early life and education

Mariangiola Criscuolo was born c. 1548 in Naples, Italy. She was exposed to art at a young age as members of her family were already established Neapolitan artists. Her uncle, Giovanni Angelo Criscuolo (c. 1500 – after 1577 Naples), was originally a notary that later became a painter. Her father, Giovanni Filippo Criscuolo (c. 1529 – 1561), was also an artist in Naples, whose style was similar to followers of Raphael. The similarities in style in Mariangela’s work with that of her father makes him a probable source of her informal training in becoming a painter. Those similarities in style are more clearly illustrated in Giovanni Filippo’s Annunciation for San Paolo Maggiore in Naples and Mariangela’s depiction of the same scene for the parocchiale di Bucciano in Benevento.

Career

Mariangiola worked to become a prominent female portraitist before being married to another artist, Giovanni Antonio d’Amato (1535–1598).

Death

Mariangela’s date of death is unknown, but it is suspected that she died after 1598, when her husband died.

Biography in Vite de’ Pittori, Scultori ed Architetti Napoletani

Much of what is known about Mariangela Criscuolo is based on the biography written by Bernardo de Dominici (1683–1759) in his book, Vite de’ Pittori, Scultori ed Architetti Napoletani (Lives of the Neapolitan Painters, Sculptors, and Architects), published in Naples in three volumes between 1742 and 1745. In his biography of Mariangela, de Dominici references the unpublished compilation of Neapolitan artist biographies by Massimo Stanzione. De Dominici acknowledges Mariangela’s accomplishments as an artist and founder of an art school accepting both men and women. Adding to this, de Dominici also states that women were sent to her more to learn how to be good wives and Christians rather than good artists.