Maria Robusti, also known as Marietta Tintoretto, was an Italian Renaissance painter. Born in Venice in 1560, she was the daughter of the renowned Venetian painter Jacopo Tintoretto. Under her father's tutelage, Maria developed impressive artistic skills at a young age, becoming one of the few recognized female artists of her time. Unfortunately, the details of her life are not as well-documented as those of her male contemporaries, which was common for women of the period.
Maria was known for her portraits, and she was reputed to have worked alongside her father in his workshop. Her style is said to have been influenced by Tintoretto’s dramatic use of light and shadow, but her work also exhibited a sensitivity and attention to detail that were uniquely her own. Her clientele included Venetian nobility and she was well respected for her artistic talents. Despite her abilities, Maria's career was cut short by her untimely death at the age of 30 in 1590. Due to the era's gender biases, many of her works were likely attributed to her father or have been lost over time, leaving a limited understanding of her full contribution to the art world.
Maria's life reflects the challenges faced by female artists in the Renaissance. They often struggled for recognition and were frequently overshadowed by their male relatives or colleagues. Nevertheless, Maria Robusti remains a figure of interest to art historians who seek to uncover and give due credit to the often-overlooked contributions of women in the history of art.