Events from the year 1557 in art.

• Painter Biagio Betti becomes a monk of the order of the Theatines of San Silvestro al Quirinale, most of his works being found in the monastery of that order in Rome.

• Sofonisba Anguissola
  • Family Portrait: Minerva, Amilcare and Asdrubale Anguissola
  • Portrait of Bianca Ponzoni Anguissola, the artist's mother (Staatliche Museen, Berlin)
• Federico Barocci – Martyrdom of St. Sebastian (Urbino Cathedral)
• Giovanni Battista Moroni – Portrait of a Man before the Virgin and Child
• Lattanzio Gambara – Apollo
• Joan de Joanes – Portrait of Alfonso V, King of Aragon
• Tintoretto – Tamar and Judah
• Daniele da Volterra – Massacre of the Innocents

• June 10 - Leandro Bassano, Venetian artist and younger brother of Francesco Bassano the Younger (died 1622)
• August 16 - Agostino Carracci, Italian painter and printmaker (died 1602)
• September 16 - Pietro Tacca, Italian sculptor and follower of Giambologna (died 1640)
• December 23 - Giovanni Battista Crespi, Italian painter, sculptor and architect (died 1632)
• date unknown
  • Alessandro Capriolo, Italian engraver and printer (died unknown)
• probable (born 1557/1560) - Benedetto Bandiera, Italian painter (died 1634)

• January 2 - Pontormo, Italian Mannerist painter and portraitist from the Florentine school (born 1494)
• January 3 - Giacomo Raibolini, Italian painter (born 1484)
• July 16 - Vincenzo degli Azani, Italian painter (date of birth unknown)
• October 5 - Francesco Bacchiacca, Florentine Mannerist painter (born 1494)
• date unknown
  • Giovanni del Giglio, Italian painter
  • Lorenzo Lotto, Italian painter, draughtsman and illustrator (born 1480)
  • Giacomo Raibolini, Italian painter (born 1484)