Women Immortalized in Art
Since prehistoric times, women have been the subject of sculpture and paintings. Some we know by name; others are recognizable but remain nameless. I will discuss.
One of the oldest works of art is the female figurine, Venus of Willendorf, dating 25,000 years ago.
As for religious art, it is believed that Saint Luke painted the Virgin Mary and child as life studies.
The Vatican in Rome boasts holdings of 10+ paintings attributed to the saint.
The Russian icon Hodegetria from the 16th century can be seen in El Greco's painting "Saint Luke Painting the Virgin" (pre-1567).
The Virgin Mary’s appearance is not mentioned in the New Testament.
The Madonna is a depiction of the Virgin Mary. However, it is devotional, and not historical.
Understandably, cultures around the world portray the Virgin Mary in their own likeness. A stark difference in race can be seen with Our Lady of Guadelupe (1531) image and Jan van Eyck's rendition from the Ghent Altarpiece (1432).
A bust of Nefertiti, queen of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt and wife of King Akhenaten, can be seen at the Neues Museum, Berlin.
Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" (1503) is believed to be a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of a Florentine merchant. It became world famous because of the publicity surrounding its theft from the Louvre in 1911.
The gender identity of Joan of Arc, the patron saint of France, remains mystifying, even today. A sketch by Clement de Fauqiembergue in 1429, a miniature portrait from an illustrated manuscript in 1450 by Martin Lefranc, and a manuscript from 1505 with an image of Joan of Arc on horseback have survived.
A painting of the court of King Philip IV, his wife, and daughter Infanta Margarita Teresa can be seen in Diego Velazquez's masterpiece "Las Meninas" (1656).
The painting reveals the Infanta's maids of honour, chaperone, her royal parents reflected in the mirror, and a self-portrait of the artist.
There is no known photograph of the English novelists and poets Anne, Emily, and Charlotte Bronte. Only a single painting remains, known as the "Pillar" portrait, by their brother Branwell.
Wives and children have been portrayed (and immortalized) in art. Claude Monet's wife Camille was his muse. As seen in "Camille Monet and Child in Artist's Garden in Argenteuil" (1875).
American documentary photojournalist Dorothea Lange photographed "The Migrant Woman" (1936) during the Great Depression. We now know the woman's name, Florence Owens.
Even before the popularity of the internet, celebrities have become the royalty of our influencer-obsessed society.
Andy Warhol was fascinated by the tragedies and triumphs of famous people in the news. His paintings of Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Kennedy canonized these women, not seen since the Virgin Mary.
One of the oldest works of art is the female figurine, Venus of Willendorf, dating 25,000 years ago.
As for religious art, it is believed that Saint Luke painted the Virgin Mary and child as life studies.
The Vatican in Rome boasts holdings of 10+ paintings attributed to the saint.
The Russian icon Hodegetria from the 16th century can be seen in El Greco's painting "Saint Luke Painting the Virgin" (pre-1567).
The Virgin Mary’s appearance is not mentioned in the New Testament.
The Madonna is a depiction of the Virgin Mary. However, it is devotional, and not historical.
Understandably, cultures around the world portray the Virgin Mary in their own likeness. A stark difference in race can be seen with Our Lady of Guadelupe (1531) image and Jan van Eyck's rendition from the Ghent Altarpiece (1432).
A bust of Nefertiti, queen of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt and wife of King Akhenaten, can be seen at the Neues Museum, Berlin.
Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" (1503) is believed to be a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of a Florentine merchant. It became world famous because of the publicity surrounding its theft from the Louvre in 1911.
The gender identity of Joan of Arc, the patron saint of France, remains mystifying, even today. A sketch by Clement de Fauqiembergue in 1429, a miniature portrait from an illustrated manuscript in 1450 by Martin Lefranc, and a manuscript from 1505 with an image of Joan of Arc on horseback have survived.
A painting of the court of King Philip IV, his wife, and daughter Infanta Margarita Teresa can be seen in Diego Velazquez's masterpiece "Las Meninas" (1656).
The painting reveals the Infanta's maids of honour, chaperone, her royal parents reflected in the mirror, and a self-portrait of the artist.
There is no known photograph of the English novelists and poets Anne, Emily, and Charlotte Bronte. Only a single painting remains, known as the "Pillar" portrait, by their brother Branwell.
Wives and children have been portrayed (and immortalized) in art. Claude Monet's wife Camille was his muse. As seen in "Camille Monet and Child in Artist's Garden in Argenteuil" (1875).
American documentary photojournalist Dorothea Lange photographed "The Migrant Woman" (1936) during the Great Depression. We now know the woman's name, Florence Owens.
Even before the popularity of the internet, celebrities have become the royalty of our influencer-obsessed society.
Andy Warhol was fascinated by the tragedies and triumphs of famous people in the news. His paintings of Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Kennedy canonized these women, not seen since the Virgin Mary.
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