ABSTRACT
Giovanni Battista Passeri’s life story of the painter Caterina Ginnasi is not only memorable for its blatant misogyny, but also for its insights regarding how an unmarried noblewoman, who was not born into an artistic family, could make a career as a professional artist. The cardinal’s great love and respect for his niece were ultimately demonstrated upon his death in 1639, when Caterina was named the beneficiary of his great wealth, including a dowry of 25,000 scudi that she could use however she wished. One comes to expect such virtues to be emphasized in the life stories of early modern women artists, but this biographer may have had a more personal motivation since later in life he was ordained a priest. His admiration for her piety may, however, have led him to mistakenly believe that Caterina took the vows of a nun towards the end of her life, for which there is no corroborating evidence.
