Orsola Maddalena Caccia (1596–1676)

• Was an Italian mannerist painter and Catholic nun.
• The daughter of painter Guglielmo Caccia and Laura Olivia.
• She was baptized Theodora Orsola.
• In 1620, she entered the Ursulines convent at Bianzè, where she changed her name to Orsola Maddalena after she took her vows.
• Before her father death, he had fostered painting as a vocation for the Ursulines of Moncalvo.
• Orsola was known as a leader of women in religious painting.
• Without her, nuns would not have been able to explore their artistic side.
• Later in her life, Orsola became the abbess of the convent.
• She outlived all of her sisters and devoted herself to painting until her death in 1676.

• Sister Orsola began her career working as her father's assistant.

• She went on to organize a painting studio within the convent at Moncalvo, where took on students and assistants of her own.

• She helped bring still life painting to Northwestern Italy.

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