Iconic female portraits in painting

These are the unusual and iconic paintings of women that are recognizable all over the world, and every collector all these iconic female portraits would like to have in their private collection.

At all times, the muse was an elegant, dignified, and indescribably beautiful woman who inspired the world to spin. Most artists, singers, sculptors and representatives of other beauty-appreciating professions were looking for their muse, their inspiration, their platonic love and the conqueror of their thoughts. Today we will discuss the most wonderful muses, the most famous paintings in which a woman shines.

Leonardo da Vinci. Mona Lisa. 1503-1519

Upon hearing, Iconic Female portraits, I can guarantee that the first thought that comes to mind is exactly the colorful and mysterious Mona Lisa.

“Mona Lisa”, also known as the “La Gioconda”. Is an important picture for the entire Renaissance: it affirmed the ideas and values of this time.

The mysterious smile of Gioconda was noticed in the 19th century – when sad, languid women became fashionable among romantics. Prior to this, it was believed that the Mona Lisa in the portrait is cheerful and joyful.

Vasari writes that this is Lisa Gherardini, the wife of the Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo, but there are no supporting documents. Nevertheless, the whole world calls the portrait by the name of this woman.

For artists, “La Gioconda” has become the standard of a portrait. Raphael has several portraits of the Donnie family, which, in terms of angle and position of the models, are very similar to the Gioconda. In the 16th and 18th centuries, the Mona Lisa was actively copied.

The elites also appreciated the painting –  Francis the First, when Leonardo took the portrait with him to France. And Napoleon hung it in his bedroom.

Massive success for the Gioconda came only after the theft of 1911. The case hit the front pages of all the newspapers, even Guillaume Apollinaire and Pablo Picasso were under suspicion. The public loves dramatic stories – and now the Mona Lisa is one of the most recognizable paintings in the world, near which there is always a huge line at the Louvre.

Jan Vermeer. Girl with a pearl earring. 1665

One of the most controversial among the well-known paintings – “Girl with a Pearl Earring” (Het meisje met de parel, 1665) by the Dutch master Jan Vermeer – in terms of the number of speculations and disputes around it, it can only be compared with the “La Gioconda” by Leonardo da Vinci.

This female portrait, haunting critics around the world, also known under other names – “Girl in a Turban” and simply “Girl”. And the main question is who is still depicted on the canvas.

“Girl with a Pearl Earring” – one of the 34 surviving canvases of the master. Considered not only the central work of Vermeer’s work, but also one of the most mysterious in the history of Dutch painting. 

Who depicted in the portrait? Researchers of Vermeer’s life put forward several versions – daughter, wife, maid, mistress. Perhaps we will not guess, because it will still remain a mystery. The main thing – that the image inspired by the author’s love, and the viewer feels it very well.

This work by Jan Vermeer is the personification, and one might even say, a hymn of youth, youth that is just beginning to flourish, so timid and not fully aware of its future beauty and strength. The girl with the pearl earring has long been separated from her creator and lives her own life.

Rafael Santi. Donna Velata. 1515-1516

“Donna Velata” (Italian:  Ritratto di donna or La Velata – “a woman under a veil”) is one of the most famous portraits of the Italian Renaissance artist Rafael Santi.

It believed that Raphael ‘s beloved, depicted on the canvas by Fornarin, served as the model for this work. Individuality emerges in the chamber atmosphere of both paintings. Perhaps they are portraits of Margherita Luti, the daughter of a baker from Siena, Sanzio ‘s lover, who often posed for him.

It believed that Raphael met Fornarina in 1514 while working in Rome for the banker Agostino Chigi to decorate the main gallery of his Villa Farnesina.

For the fresco “Cupid and Psyche” Raphael began to look for a model and finally on the banks of the Tiber he saw the 17 – year- old daughter of the baker Margarita Luti. Rafael nicknamed her Fornarina (from Italian  fornaro -baker).

The artist offered the girl to work as a model and invited her to his studio . Thus began their romance , it lasted six years , until the death of the master. Raphael said to have bought his daughter from her father for gold and rented a villa for her. After the untimely death of the great artist Fornarina, as the documents say , went to the monastery in 1520.

Leonardo da Vinci. Isabella d’Este. 1499

Isabella was a connoisseur of ancient art and patronized contemporary artists and sculptors, who also tried to follow ancient ideals in their work. Not only Leonardo da Vinci visited the Mantua court, but also Raphael, Titian and other artists. “After the Marquise of Mantua, there were bundles of letters, chests with outfits and jewelry, collections of paintings and art objects, a collection of books and manuscripts. Isabella d’Este was one of the first creators of fashion, not only the fashion for the cut of the dress and the style of the hairstyle, but the fashion of art, poetry, morals,

Leonardo da Vinci was already familiar with the Mantua couple. They first met in 1491, when a double wedding took place: Isabella married Francesco Gonzaga, and her sister Beatrice married Lodovico Sforza. Leonardo participated in the organization of the ceremony, according to his sketches, costumes made for the jousting tournament that took place at the wedding. Now he has found temporary shelter in Mantua.

At this time, the artist created two drawings depicting Isabella. Perhaps they made as sketches for a future portrait. Leaving for Venice, Leonardo took one of the drawings with him, and gave the second to Francesco Gonzaga. Subsequently, in Isabella’s correspondence with the artist, she several times asked him to make a picturesque portrait based on a drawing, but there is no information that Leonardo da Vinci did this. The drawing that remained in Mantua lost. The one that was taken away by Leonardo survives and is now in the collection of the Louvre.

However, in 2013, reported that Leonardo da Vinci nevertheless complied with Isabella’s reques. Painted her portrait and that this portrait founded in Switzerland. The owners expected to sell it, but since the Italian authorities every reason to suspect that the collection taken out of the country illegally. The deal suspended. Then the portrait first fell into the hands of experts.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Jeanne Samary. 1877

Reproductions with a portrait of the charming Jeanne Samary are familiar to art lovers from early childhood. It is unlikely that there will be at least one calendar where this work of the French impressionist Renoir will not be presented. They say that this one of the rare paintings from which the eye does not get tired. The standard of femininity: a radiant smile, copper hair, stunning eyes in depth, which reflect the blue of heaven. But the main thing that attracts in the portrait is the extraordinary charm of the actress.

Auguste Renoir managed to convey on canvas not only the external, but also the inner beauty of Jeanne. The portrait shown for the first time at the third exhibition of the Impressionists. They met him not unambiguously: many scolded and scoffed, but there were also rave reviews.

James Abbott McNeill. Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1. 1871

The last Iconic Female Portrait in our list, well known – Whistler’s Mother.

Arrangement in Gray and Black No. 1, better known as Whistler’s Mother. It has become one of the most quoted portraits in the world. However, she coldly received at the first exhibition in England, where the American artist moved. France, however, delighted with the portrait and bought it, which was what the author wanted.

It can be said, that perhaps the most famous painting of this artist was born by complete accident. The painting with its composition, already fully planned and the author was waiting for the model, which did not appear on the set. Not wanting to waste time looking for a new model, McNeill asked his mother to pose for his picture.

It also an interesting fact. That the woman in the painting supposed to stand, but it was uncomfortable for the woman to stand for so long, so she sat down and thus a new composition of the painting was born.

Summary

Of course, this is far from a finite list. There are many Iconic female portraits, which are widely recognized, not only among art lovers and fans, but also for the wide all -in -laws, who are only in the midst of art.

All of these paintings are like simple reflections of women, which over time delight in more than once and travel over ages. All these iconic representations of female in paintings have been surprising for many centuries with their simplicity, but at the same time complexity, openness and mystery.

Also, even the paintings were fascinated by the filmmakers who, who did not resist the images of the iconic female, made films, stories that tell about women themselves, or the circumstances of the picture. However, these are just stories, tales that may have nothing to do with reality, but they are surrounded by more secrets.

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