Sofonisba Anguissola's Portrait of Massimiliano II Stampa, painted in 1557, captures a young nobleman dressed in elaborate court attire, symbolizing his inheritance of the Marchese of Soncino title.

[1] The inscription on the reverse of the canvas, revealed during a 1983 conservation, identified the subject as Massimiliano II, age nine, and the third marchese of Soncino.

[2] Anguissola, one of the Renaissance's few celebrated female artists, is renowned for her insightful and detailed portraits, with this piece standing as one of her major early commissions.

[4] Despite the challenges faced by female artists during the period, Anguissola’s work, including this portrait, has gained recognition for its technical skill and symbolic depth.

The boy has a stern expression on his face, with his left hand resting on his sword while his right-hand holds a medallion, and behind him lays a small, sleeping dog.

1557" The painting includes an inscription on the reverse side of the canvas, which has played a significant role in identifying and providing context to the identity of the young boy.

On December 19, 1983, The Walters Art Museum conducted a conservation of the painting in which they cleaned, stabilized, mounted, re-housed, and coated the portrait.

[2] It was through this treatment by Sian Jones of The Walters Art Museum's Department of Conservation and Technical Research that new discoveries were made about the identity of the young noble through the removal of the lining of the picture.

[1] The lettering, assumed by scholars to be written by Anguissola herself, is typical of the mid-sixteenth century and represents the year of creating the portrait, as well as clues to the identity of the boy.

[1] From this first line of the inscription, it has been established that the figure in the painting is Massimiliano II Stampa, who was the third marchese of the north Italian city of Soncino.

[1] While the portrait's main focus is Massimiliano II Stampa, it is important to recognize and mention the dog that lies asleep behind his foot.

Animals in Renaissance art symbolized a range of values, from loyalty and courage to purity and rebirth, while also reflecting the era's renewed fascination with the natural world.

[1] Massimiliano I, the young noble's uncle, is the most notable member of the family due to his work as governor of the fortress of Milan and voluntary capitulation to Charles V. These acts awarded him the title of "Marchese of Soncino" in 1536, a title which the Stampa family remained in control of until the seventeenth century.

[1] This theory arose as the Stampa family maintained close ties with Milanese and Spanish nobility and could have created social and political alliances similar to those of the Medicis.

[1] The Portrait of Massimiliano II Stampa currently resides in the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, USA, but its provenance has been extensive and contains some unknowns in terms of its procurements.

[2] The earliest history of acquisition begins at the Chantel Collection, Lyon, but the date and method of acquirement remain unknown.

[2] In 1927, the painting was listed for sale at the American Art Association Galleries in New York and was cataloged as Portrait of a Young Prince of the Este Family by G. B. Moroni.

[2]Anguissola, born in 1532, was an Italian Renaissance painter who came from a family of minor nobility, with parents who supported her pursuit of education and passion for the arts.

Artist Giorgio Vasari is quoted as describing her and her work as showing "greater application and better grace than any other woman of our age in her endeavors at drawing... by herself has created rare and beautiful paintings.

[11] Though female artists faced considerable challenges during the Renaissance, they were still able to find ways to assert their agency in the arts, as Anguissola demonstrates, and scholars today have been able to recognize these efforts and achievements.

Scholars have since identified several female artists from this period while also examining how women shaped their gender identities through art patronage, collections, and commissions.