In Lucia Anguissola's Self Portrait (1557) she portrays herself sitting in modest clothing, with a book in her left hand. This book has been identified as either a prayer book or a Petrarchan. Her right hand rests on her heart, similar to her sister Sofonisba's own self-portrait of 1554. There are many other similarities between the two self-portraits, such as clothing choices and gaze, but both can be attributed to the sisters' upbringing and maturity. Her clothing is meant to represent her modest and elegant exterior. One art historian has suggested that Lucia Anguissola's "suspended" and "gloomy" gaze alludes to her feelings about living in Sofonisba's shadow. This element is in many of Lucia's portraits—as well as in Sofonisba's painting The Chess Game—and may reference the inferiority she felt compared to her sister.
