Forjando una identidad: autoimagen y conciencia artística en los primeros grabados de Josefa de Óbidos

This essay examines the construction of an artistic identity in the first two engravings of the Seville-born Portuguese painter Josefa de Óbidos (1630-1684), completed in 1646, one of them surely in Coimbra. The two engravings provide us with valuable insights into Josefa de Óbidos’ early artistic training, professional ambitions and artistic self-image, highlighting the role of the women artists who preceded her and the importance of the artistic and social contexts of Seville and Coimbra. In using printmaking, moreover, the painter shares the strategy and ambition of other early female artists who strove to ensure the survival of their name and fame through this medium. Finally, the prints suggest the painter’s desire to attract royal patronage, thus actively participating in the new artistic and political culture of the Portuguese Restoration.