Standardizing women as a subject of interest for paintings has always intrigued famous artists from all over the world. The femininity, beauty, and gaze of women have been captured by many painters in the form of self-portraits and interesting stories with women as the main character.
It was just not Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” that left an imprint of women’s artistry across the globe. There are several other famous paintings of women that have constructed eminent positions in national art galleries, museums, and other important art buildings.
These old paintings of women are a rich legacy that the art world upholds. Scroll down to find out more about the most famous paintings of women by world-famous artists, their ideas, and the stories behind them.
Girl With Pearl Earring c.1665
The famous woman portrait Jan Vermeer Van Delft’s “Girl With Pearl Earring”, painted in the year 1665. It is a resonating painting inspired by the enigmatic cultural classic Mona Lisa. Much like it, this painting is also a three-dimensional creation and a vivid oil on canvas with a beautiful face peering out from a blanket of a black background.
The prominent title of the painting emerges from the focal point of the girl, who is wearing a pearl earring- shining brightly from the dark shadow behind her. The turban on her head is a symbol of a fashion trend that was quite popular in Europe at that time. The artwork seems so realistic, just like a photograph and not painted with mere tints of colours and brushes.
This painting is poetry in action, with symphonies in precise detailing, on-point brushstrokes, and glamorous tones of vivid colours. The oriental work has a distant gaze strengthened with masterful techniques and a vision so unique by Vermeer.
Portrait Of Adele Bloch Bauer
Made in 1907, Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer is one of the most expensive paintings in the world. It was last sold for 135 million dollars at an auction and is presently housed in Neue Art Gallery, New York.
The uniquely crafted reproduction has been painted with oil, gold, and silver with a special art technique known as the Byzantine mosaic technique. This painting is a playful work of art that shows a healthy relationship between the artist and the model, which was at that time rumoured to be a love affair.
The artist has painted the breathtaking portrait with glitz and glamour, and amidst the sea of gold is the beautiful Adele. Klimt’s work was highly adored by the proud lady of Vienna and she built a collection of his five pieces of magnificent art.
What’s amusing is that these pieces were put to auction just after Klimt’s family received them. It remains a poignant moment in art history that a legacy like this was introduced in the auction business.
A Soul Brought To Heaven
A Soul Brought To Heaven was painted in 1878 by William-Adolphe Bouguereau. The fine-toned Renaissance art is a figurative painting fine-toned with biblical theme, about a loss that the artist felt in his own life.
The cathedral painting is a gentle tug of war between the conformity of the Academy for which William got huge respect as the recently aggrieved husband and father. Although the painting is not depicting any family member, the pain that resonates through the painting points that it was dedicated to a closed one.
The biblical setup of the painting is skied over the heads and angels assembling in ascending order from the heavens. The angels carry the soul to the afterlife with utmost care. At the bottom of the artwork is a bouquet that makes the entire painting surreal.
The artist of this painting, William Bouguereau, did a lot of charitable work in his way. He contributed to decorating houses, churches, monumental buildings and represented his classical styles as demanded by his commissioners. But, a painting like A Soul Brought to Heaven permeates grief and shares his loss on oil on canvas like no other.
The Bottom Line
Women as the main character and women as the role models for paintings are nothing new to this generation. Women’s paintings have been practiced since the art has originated. Famous paintings of women are one of the highest-selling artworks and collectables that people look up to.