Giulia Lama

Giulia Lama
Self Portrait of Giulia Lama
Born	(1681-10-01)October 1, 1681 Venice, Italy
Died	October 7, 1747(1747-10-07) (aged 66) Venice, Italy
Resting place	Church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo
Nationality	Italian
Known for	Painting
Movement	Baroque

Giulia Elisabetta Lama (1 October 1681 – 7/8 October 1747)^[1] was an Italian painter, active in Venice. Her dark, tense style contrasted with the dominant pastel colors of the late Baroque era. She was one of the first female artists to study the male figure nude.^[2]

Giulia Lama (alias Lisalba Arcadia), was born in the parish of Santa Maria Formosa in Venice. Lama was born to Agostino Lama, and Valentina dell'Avese.^[3] She was the eldest of her three siblings: Cecilia, Niccolò, and Pietro. According to records, she resided in Calle Lunga 1242, between the Campo of Santa Maria Formosa and Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo.^[3] She was trained initially by her father, the painter Agostino Lama. Later, she studied alongside a childhood friend, Giambattista Piazzetta (1682–1754), at the Scuola di Antonio Molinari in Venice. As a result of learning together their styles are similar with intense use of chiaroscuro.^[4]

A letter written by the Abate Conti to Madame de Caylus in March 1728 has been important in determining Lama's background and character. He remarks, "The poor girl is persecuted by the painters, but her virtue triumphs over her enemies. It is true that she is as ugly as she is witty but she speaks with grace and precision, so that one easily forgives her face."^[4] The letter reveals that in addition to being a painter she was skilled in mathematics, poetry, and lace making.^[4]

Lama was active as a historical painter and poet in Venice. She resided in Calle Lunga 1242 for a majority of her life. She died on October 7/8th, most likely to the plague in 1747. She had a successful career in private and public figure painting. Lama appears to have been one of the first women to break the barrier against women studying and drawing the nude figure from life.^[5] Over 200 drawings show that she indeed studied both male and female nude figures during her training.^[6] She had public success in history painting that was typically done only by men.

As a highly trained professional, she was just as capable of painting a sensitive portrait such as Young Man with a Turban as she was of carrying out large, original commissions, such as altarpieces, with confidence. It is through the identification of three such altarpieces in a Venetian guidebook of 1733 that Lama's artistic personality began to be reconstructed.^[6] Recovery of Lama's oeuvre has required reattribution of works by not only Piazzetta, but also artists such as Federico Bencovich, Domenico Maggiotto, Francesco Capella, and Zurbarán among others.

Lama's education began early in life, with her father, Agostino Lama, training her as a mathematician and artist.^[6] At the time, Venice discouraged women from studying the sciences. This made studying mathematics outside of the home increasingly difficult. Regardless, Lama pursued her educational interest. She began studying under Padre Maffei, a notable mathematician of the time.^[3] Sources state that Lama may have studied lace making in order to support herself financially. In addition to lace making, scholars have commented on Lama's embroidery skill.^[2] In a letter from Antonio Schinella Conti to Madame de Caylus, Antonio wrote,

"Giulia makes lace and has great interest in Clelia Borromeo's apparatus for making lace by machinery, as used in making socks and cloth. I believe that it is not difficult to invent such apparatus, and whomever [whoever] is successful would make a great deal of money and would reduce the expenses for women's labor. Tell your son. Perhaps he met Lama when he was in Venice. She lives a very secluded life."^[3]

Though there are no official records of Lama ever producing lace or a lace making machine, it may have been a source of income. Lama never married and found a way to be financially independent as a woman, which was uncommon for the time.

Lama's formal education after her father's training is slightly unclear, but sources indicate that she may have been trained by Giuseppe Angeli. Her peers included Francesco Cappella, Egidio dall'Oglio, Domenico Maggiotto and Antonio Marinetto at the Scuola di Antonio Molinari in Venice. Over 200 sketches have been found illustrating her early studies of anatomy. One way that Lama would have been able to study the male figure in her daily life, was likely by observing the workmen at the Venetian Arsenal, where she was documented to visit frequently.^[3] Studies from nude male models would have likely been done in a private studio.^[7]

Lama's career is fairly elusive as well. Her career as a painter was said to be financially successful, and she received multiple commissions, both public and private.^[3] Two years prior to Abbot Contis' letter, Luisa Bergaiii Gozzi (1703-1779) discussed Lama's accomplishments as well:

"... Lisalba Arcadia [Giulia Lama], most erudite in philosophy, a well renowned painter, so much so that the main churches try to have her works, and in particular some altarpieces, she acquired great honors in her manner of painting."^[3]

Lama received the important commission to paint the altarpiece for her parish church, Santa Maria Formosa in the Sestiere of Castello, in 1722. Lama received another important commission around 1750: to paint a Crucifixion scene for an altar in San Vidal.^[6]

In her self portrait, Lama is seen at 45 years old.^[3] She is holding a paint brush and palette, and choose to dress herself in unostentatious attire. Around her wrist is a double looped pearl bracelet.

Lama's depiction of the beheading of Saint Eurosia was displayed in either the Church of Saint Eurosia or the adjacent Oratory of the Assumption of Mary and Saint Eurosia at Le Vignole.^[6] The prior owner of the piece is unknown. The Ca' Rezzonico Museum registered the painting in 1962, when Gatti Casazza donated his collection to the museum.^[3]

Lama created two versions of Judith and Holofernes. An earlier version in 1725, shown on the left, is found at the Galleria dell'Accademia in Venice. Lama created a later version in 1735 that is located at the G. Rossi Collection in Milan.^[3]

The Rape of Europa is a now lost piece of Lama's. Antonio Schinella Conti describes the piece in his letter:

"The subject is The Rape of Europa [now lost], but the bull is in the forest and far away from the sea and her companions dance around the beast that carries Europa laughing. The group of these figures is filled with poetry, so much so that this woman has more cords in her arch [art] and excels in painting as in poetry - her poetry is in the style of Petrarch."^[3]

Though there is limited information about the number of poems that Lama composed, sources indicate that she composed two songs, three sonnets and a eulogy. The eulogy honors the death of her literary friend Abbot Antonio Sforza.^[3]

Death, untimely you enshroud the body

More often now in genteel persons;

Why have you now taken away such great hopes?

Why have so many earnest prayers gone unheard?

So that I would not be aware of so great a sorrow.

Why does so wise a spirit still not remain

For a longer sojourn

In the world to give honor to our age?

I know your hurt done to others, which is your ancient way,

But to whomever else were you ever so unkind?

Now hear what sort and how great a trouble,

Arose against us from so blind an act,

Because if pity has no value in you

May loathing of your misdeed at least overtake you.

And Oh! if only I could unfold in a longer discourse,

In clearer and more precise language,

The lofty cause

That encumbers everyone's heart:

And I would hope, perhaps, for our common grief

That pity might still issue forth from you.

Handsome, young, and gentle of aspect

Soft and kind of word was Sforza;

These graces shone in a frail body;

Seldom does Heaven deign to send

Here on earth, one equal

To a soul so wise and prudent

Enshrined here justly in the veil of a mortal form,

Therefore, proudly does our age do him honor

Though you have turned him away before his time.

What availed it ever to hear the wise voices

Reading his learned maxims and the poems

Which I seem to hear still in my heart

Arousing pity and placating fierce wraths,

And his intellect more adroit than any other's

To understand lofty matters,

And explain the most abstruse ideas;

And through wise and shrewd perception;

It availed only to see that a great adventure

Passes away, and never endures for long.

But it will be of worth. Where, O my sad wrong,

Did my dismal verse transport you?

Despite bitter and wicked hatred

He lives again for us on paper.

Slight relief in the horrible house

Which canceled out such great hopes

Together with his knowledge,

And wherefore everyone here has remained disheartened.

That if in his green years he was so great

How much more so would he have been in his gray?

Listen to his clear style; think that if he had reached

A more mature and sagacious age,

What works he would have created for us!

Then tell how much you have taken from us all at once.

And restrain that other poison of which you are full

And mitigate it somewhat,

Enough at least, that it may give occasion

To see the reason for our pain.

Slight still is your resolve, your pride

For a brief while suspended by your hardness.

But what a wish! You are blind and deaf;

I can obtain no compassion from you.

Ah! if it had not been that way,

Seeing him, and hearing him would have moved

Proud instinct, and you would not have, less proud,

Snuffed out a luminary formerly so bright.

Sources indicate that Lama may have died of the plague, on October 8. The record states:

"Lady Giulia, the daughter of Agostino Lama, of about 66 years of age, ill with acute fever due to a skin disease, which degenerated in convulsions, on the 8th day, died today at 21 hours"^[3]

She was buried at the Church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, in 1747.