She is perhaps not as well known as other female artists, such as Angelica Kauffman and Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, because she did not have access to court-oriented or aristocratic social circles, nor had she sought the particular patronage of political rulers and noblemen.

Her father may have been inspired to train his daughter by the example of Sofonisba Anguissola, who was from Cremona, around 50 miles from Milan.

Several of her paintings based on the deuterocanonical story of Judith and Holofernes, a popular theme in art of the period, survive in private collections.

Galizia's artistic skills are evident in her portrait of Paolo Morigia, General of the Jesuati, a scholar, writer and historian, and one of her earliest patrons and supporters.

Her Portrait of Paolo Morigia (1596) depicts the subject writing a poem about the picture Galizia was painting.

[5] Galizia showed a style related to the Lombard mannerism of the late 16th century, centered in Mantua, but known internationally, especially in France.

This painting is significant not only for its artistic merits, but additionally for its portrayal of a strong and assertive female figure, which was somewhat unconventional for this time period.

Judith and the head of Holofernes was featured in the Baltimore Museum of Art, in the recent exhibition ‘Making Her Mark: A History of Women Artists in Europe, 1400–1800'.

[7] Galizia’s paintings were deft with detail, perfectly balanced, and her attention to shadow, light, and texture was unrivaled at the time.

Many works that could have possibly been hers have been attributed to her male counterpart Panfilo Nuvolone, who drew significant inspiration from Galizia.