10 famous paintings (with female protagonists)
What would be of us humans without art and our desire to create beauty for the world. From the beginning of our time, we have expressed ourselves through art in the form of painting, with hieroglyphs and cave paintings that have evolved into the famous paintings that we know today, in their thousands of styles, all beautiful.
But it is not only the style of painting but what we capture in the paintings that allows us not only to appreciate their beauty, but also to interpret what is behind each work of art. If not, check out these 10 famous paintings with women as protagonists that we have selected.
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10 famous paintings with women as protagonists
Not all artists have painted on the same themes: some prefer to portray landscapes, others surreal dreams, others work with geometries and some have been inclined to represent scenes historical.
But if something has always been a source of inspiration and admiration (although not always in the right way) by artists throughout history, it has been women. This has made them
the protagonists of some of the most famous paintings in history, which today are preserved in the best museums in the world. Get to know them!1. The birth of Venus
Sandro Botticelli is the author of "The Birth of Venus" (Nascita di Venere), one of his famous paintings, considered the pinnacle of his masterpiece. This beautiful Renaissance work large (278.5 cm x 172.5 cm) was executed in tempera on canvas around 1482 and 1484, although the exact date is not known due to different theories about who commissioned this work to Botticelli.
Although the work is called "The Birth of Venus", the truth is that the painting does not represent her birth, but the arrival on a shell of the goddess her to one of the islands that she is credited with. In this famous painting, Venus is again represented in her total nudity, something that had been abolished during the Middle Ages. If you want to enjoy this precious work of art, you can find it in the Uffizi Gallery museum in Florence, Italy.
2. The Mona Lisa
"La Gioconda" by Leonardo Da Vinci is probably one of the most recognized and popular famous paintings in the world. La Gioconda or Mona Lisa is a Renaissance work and dates from 1503. It was made in the sfumato technique, characteristic of Da Vinci.
There are multiple hypotheses about who is the protagonist of this beautiful painting; although due to the name of the work, it is said that it is the portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo. This is just one of the factors that has made it the most famous and most visited painting in the world. Another reason has been the incredible theft to which it was the object in 1911 and, finally, that it is the last work of Leonardo Da Vinci. You can enjoy it at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.
3. The three graces
Appears on our list another of the famous paintings of the baroque period. It is "The Three Graces", a work of art in oil on oak panel by the artist Pedro Pablo Rubens, or as some called him, the prince of the flamingos. In his painting the three Graces appear, represented as never before has someone done with this mythological story, because normally they were seen as completely modest.
The three Graces represent Aglaya, Talía and Eufrósine, the daughters of Zeus. In Rubén's work they look more corpulent and free, however it is respected the triangle arrangement of the three women that has always characterized them. This work dates from 1636 to 1639 and you can currently enjoy it in the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain.
4. The girl of the pearl
Another of the famous paintings with female protagonists It is one of the masterpieces of Johannes Vermeer, a painter of Dutch origin. It is about "The young woman with the pearl" work that also receives the name of The Mona Lisa of the north, The Dutch Mona Lisa or Girl with a Turban.
The painting is in the Baroque style and was made between 1665 and 1667. The protagonist of this work is a girl with a warm and penetrating gaze that is fixed on whoever sees it, but the focus is truly on the pearl earring that the girl wears. The completely dark background adds more drama to this masterpiece that you can enjoy in the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, in the Netherlands.
5. The four Seasons
One of the greatest exponents of Art Noveau was Alfons Mucha, of Czech nationality. His work has undoubtedly had women and goddesses as protagonists of his various posters, illustrations, advertisements and famous paintings. In this, "The Four Seasons", the goddesses of the four seasons appear flirtatious and sweet, blending into the background landscape in the purest Art Noveau style.
This series of paintings made in 1896 was so successful for use as decorative panels that the artist produced two more versions of his work. The Mucha museum is located in Prague, Czech Republic; there you can enjoy the pieces of him and famous paintings with their poetic women as protagonists.
6. Lady godiva
John Collier, one of the most important Pre-Raphaelite artists, is the author of this fascinating work of art, "Lady Godiva", made in 1897. It is one of the famous paintings portraying the medieval legend of Lady Godiva, wife of Leofric, Earl of Chester, Mercia and Lord of Coventry, who levied abusive taxes on his vassals.
In an act of solidarity, Lady Godiva asked her husband to lower taxes, who replied that she would as long as she walked around town naked, trusting that her wife would never would agree. However, Lady Godiva agreed and rode through the city completely naked on her horse. The citizens of Coventry as a sign of respect closed doors and windows. Except for Peeping Tom, who watched her through a door and was blinded by it.
Collier's work portraying the legend is housed in the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Coventry, England.
7. Girl at the window
The author of this beautiful famous painting painted in 1925 is Salvador Dalí, one of the greatest exponents of the surrealist movement. However, this painting does not belong to surrealism, but is one of Dalí's paintings made in his formative stage prior to fully converting to surrealism.
In the play we see Ana María, Dalí's sister, leaning out of the window of the family house by the sea in Cadaqués. You can enjoy this work of art in the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, in Madrid, Spain.
8. The broken Column
The work of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, characterized by a large number of self-portraits and paintings that relate situations from her personal life, has become more popular than ever in recent years. In addition to her self-portraits with flowers (which have become the emblematic image of Frida Kahlo), another of her famous paintings is “The Broken Column”, made in oil on canvas in 1944.
The protagonist of this work is Fridashe, who appears half-naked showing her fragmented spine and wearing an orthopedic corset that surrounds her body. The painting was made after Frida Kahlo underwent spinal surgery due to a car accident in 1925. After the surgery, Frida had to spend several months in bed and wear a steel corset that caused her excruciating pain.
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9. Mona Lisa at twelve
Colombian artist Fernando Botero is the author of another famous painting resignifying the Mona Lisa, the work of the Renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci, which receives a similar name: "Mona Lisa at twelve years old." In this painting made in 1958, Botero paints the Mona Lisa at the age of twelve, marking the girl's silhouette in large proportions.
Botero is famous for the “Gordismo” style, in which the bodies are painted very voluminous and thick, hence some believe that he paints fat women. However, the artist does not see it in such a way. In fact, Botero is a huge fan of women and in much of his work the protagonists are female. You can enjoy this work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, United States.
10. Marilyn Diptych
Andy Warhol, the greatest exponent of American pop art, is the creator of "Marilyn Diptych." These are several pieces that are part of the same work, made under the silk-screen technique, and that have been one of the famous paintings of the artist and more easily recognizable.
In total there are 50 images of Marilyn Monroe based on the advertising image of Niagara, one of her films. It was made right after the actress passed away in 1962.
In 2004 this work of art was named as the third most influential work of modern art, according to the English newspaper The Guardian. You can enjoy it at the Tate Modern (Gallery of Modern Art in England) in London, England.
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