Diana Scultori (1547-1612)

"Diana Scultori, Diana Mantuana, or Diana Ghisi (b.1535 AD) was an Italian engraver from Mantua, Italy. She is one of the earliest known women printmakers.

She was one of four children of the sculptor and engraver Giovanni Battista Ghisi. Diana learned the art of engraving from her father and the artist Giulio Romano. She received her first public recognition as an engraver in Giorgio Vasari’s second edition of his Vites (1568). In 1565 she met her first husband, architect Francesco da Volterra (Capriani). The pair moved to Rome by 1575. Once in Rome, Diana used her knowledge of business within the art world to progress her husband´s career. Soon after moving to Rome, on June 5, 1575, Diana received a Papal Privilege to make and market her own work. She used the importance of signature and dedication to her advantage. Three years later (1578) she gave birth to her son Giovanni Battista Capriani. Both Diana symbolically and Francesco actively became members of the Confraternity of San Giuseppe[circular reference] during their artistic careers. The last known print by Diana dates 1588. It is unlikely that she created new prints past this time due to the strong emphasis she put on signing and dating her work throughout her career. She married another architect named Giulio Pelosi after Francesco da Volterra´s death in 1594. Diana later died in 1612." - (en.wikipedia.org 21.09.2020)