We have not space to recount all the honors conferred on Sofonisba, both as a woman and an artist.  She lived to an extreme old age, and, although she lost her sight, her intellect was undimmed by time or blindness.  Vandyck, who was frequently her guest, more than once declared that he “was more benefited by the counsels of the blind Sofonisba than by all his studies of the masters of his art!” From a pupil of Rubens this was praise indeed!

The chief characteristics of Sofonisba’s painting were grace and spirit.  Her portrait of herself when at her best is in possession of the Lomellini.  A second is the splendid picture at Althorpe, in which she is represented as playing the harpsichord.  One can scarcely imagine a place in which a portrait would be more severely tested than in the gallery of the Earl of Spencer, beside portraits of lovely women and famous men, painted by master artists.  Yet this work of Sofonisba’s is praised by discerning critics and connoisseurs.  Of the other portraits of herself, that in the Uffizi is signed by her as “of Cremona,” which suggests that it was painted before she went to Spain.  That in the Vienna Gallery is dated 1551, and inscribed Sophonisba Anguissola.  Virgo.  Sc.  Ipsam Fecit.  Still another, in which a man stands beside her, is in the Sienna Gallery.  He holds a brush in his hand, and is probably one of her masters.

Her portrait of her sisters playing chess, while an old duenna looks on, was in the collection of Lucien Bonaparte and is said to be now in a private gallery in England.  Her religious pictures are rare; a “Marriage of St. Catherine” is in the gallery at Wilton House.

She painted several pictures of three of her sisters on one canvas; one is in the National Museum of Berlin, and a second, formerly in the Leuchtenberg Gallery, is in the Hermitage at Petersburg.  A small Holy Family, signed and dated 1559, belonged to the art critic and author, Morelli.

One regrets that so remarkable a woman left no record of her unusual experiences.  How valuable would be the story of Don Carlos from so disinterested a person.  How interesting had she told us of the bal masque, given by Isabella in the fashion of her own country, when Philip condescended to open the ball with the Queen; or of the sylvan fetes at Aranjuez, and of the gardens made under the direction of Isabella.  Of all this she has told us nothing.  We glean the story of her life from the works of various authors, while her fame rests securely on her superiority in the art to which she was devoted.

ANCHER, ANNA KRISTINE. Genre painter, won high praise at Berlin in 1900 for two pictures:  “Tischgebet,” which was masterly in its smoothness and depth of expression, and “Eine blinde Frau in ihrer Stube,” in which the full sunlight streaming through the open window produced an affecting contrast.  She was born at Skagen, 1859, the daughter of Erik Brondum, and early showed her artistic tendencies.  Michael