The Genius History Tried to Hide: Plautilla Nelli

The Genius History Tried to Hide: Plautilla Nelli

W
World of Art
2 Video Views·Feb 21, 2026

She lived behind convent walls.
She was denied training, recognition, and freedom.
Yet she created one of the most powerful artworks of the Renaissance.

Plautilla Nelli was one of the first professional female painters in Italy — and the first woman to paint The Last Supper. But history erased her name, hid her works, and silenced her legacy for centuries.