1581 in art

Events

• September 19 – Arnold Bronckhorst is appointed first court painter to James VI of Scotland.
• Construction of the Uffizi in Florence as magistrates' offices, designed by Giorgio Vasari and continued by Alfonso Parigi the Elder and Bernardo Buontalenti, is completed.

Works

• Anonymous – Portrait of Dorothy and Penelope Devereux
• Antonio Campi – The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence
• Lavinia Fontana
• *Deposition
• *Noli me tangere
• Nicholas Hilliard – Portrait miniature of Sir Francis Drake

Births

• October 21 – Domenico Zampieri, Baroque Italian painter
• December 27 - Jean Chalette, French miniature and portrait painter
• date unknown
• *Johan Bara, Dutch painter, designer and engraver
• *Frans Francken the Younger, Flemish painter
• *Cornelis Liefrinck, Dutch painter
• *Abraham Matthijs, Flemish Baroque painter
• *Fillide Melandroni, Italian courtesan, model for Caravaggio
• *Panfilo Nuvolone, Italian Mannerist painter
• *Carlo Sellitto, Italian Caravaggisti painter
• *Artus Wolffort, Flemish painter
• probable
• *Bernardo Strozzi, Italian painter

Deaths

• September 19 - Frans Pourbus the Elder, Flemish Renaissance painter primarily of religious and portraits date unknown
• *Girolamo Comi, Italian Renaissance painter