Margherita Caffi
A Path for Female Painters
Today is the anniversary of the death of Margherita Caffi, who died on this day in 1710.
Caffi was an Italian painter who was able to have a long career painting still life flower & fruit compositions. The men in her family were painters, but Caffi was self-taught. A mother of four who was pursuing a craft outside of the norm for her times, Caffi had an incredible work ethic. But, her efforts paid off; Caffi achieved fame and even royal patronage during a time when female painters were not embraced.
A quick Google search of Caffi will reveal that she loved tulips, roses, peonies, and carnations; she loved to paint their delicate forms and felt that their great colors - the soft pinks, the vibrant reds, the remarkable shades of yellow and orange - were best displayed against a dark background.