Orsola Maddalena Caccia (Italian, 1596–1676) was a pioneering painter and Ursuline nun whose devotional life and artistic vocation were profoundly intertwined. Born Theodora Caccia in Moncalvo, she was trained by her father, the esteemed painter Guglielmo Caccia, and adopted the name Orsola Maddalena upon entering the convent. Within the cloister, she established a painting studio that supported her religious community, a rare feat for a woman in seventeenth-century Italy.
Her work blends naturalistic still life with spiritual themes, often depicting sacred subjects with luminous colors, precise realism, and meticulous detail. Caccia's paintings not only served as devotional tools but also asserted a refined artistic voice at a time when women's contributions were routinely marginalized. Her legacy endures as a testament to faith, resilience, and creative ingenuity within the constraints of religious life.
