16 Paintings Of Women: Artistic Look At Women Through History

Women – the most celebrated muse of the art world. Sculptures, portraits, and paintings of women have been around for more than centuries.

There is no denying that women have played a vital role in the history of art. They have been a part of the most eminent pieces across the globe.

The portrayal of women in paintings has held different significance and meaning over time.

From being mythological muses in the Middle Ages to being portrayed to showcase their family’s affluence in the renaissance era.

Art is a product of its time. Women have been sculpted, molded, and painted not just by artists but also the society.

In the following article, we will observe iconic paintings of women from influential artists who have painted them in styles that persisted during their times, reflecting their world almost like an allegory.

1. Mona Lisa By Leonardo DaVinci 1519

Mona Lisa is a masterpiece that tills dates and mystifies art lovers and artists alike.

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Taking a look at the most celebrated lady is like taking part in a silent back-and-forth negotiation.

The bewitching gaze of the muse teases us with the proud grin that prompts us to try to understand both the mood of the muse and the intention of the artist.

This painting features a seated woman who is set against an imaginary landscape that shares similarities to Renaissance portrayals of the Virgin Mary.

Unlike most paintings of women during the era, this famous painting of women was anything but elaborated.

Check out our Da Vinci Replica painting gallery if you wish to have one of his masterpieces hand painted just for you!

2. The Girl with a Pearl Earring By Johannes Vermeer 1665

This painting of a young Girl with a pearl earring and a blue scarf is considered to be one of the most beautiful paintings in the world.

Painted by Vermeer in the 17th century, this intimate portrait of a woman is perhaps also one of the most famous paintings of a woman and often compared to DaVinci’s Mona Lisa.

Every famous painting has a mystery behind it and Vermeer’s mystery lies in his subject.

But that doesn’t matter, this work was never intended to study the subject but to attest to Vermeer’s technical expertise, especially his mastery of light.

3. Judith Beheading Holofernes by Caravaggio 1599

This painting of women is an icon of female rage and is inspired by a story symbolizing triumph over tyranny.

Judith Beheading Holofernes depicts the biblical story of Judith who saves her group by seducing and beheading Holofernes; an Assyrian general.

This story has been painted before by many but none had such dramatic flair.

Unlike the other paintings of Judith Beheading Holofernes, Caravaggio did not idealize its subjects.

He painted ghastly depictions of the climatic sense that was rarely ever shown before.

Caravaggio’s realistic composition of the actual beheading is sensational, his use of chiaroscuro and tenebrism has helped bring the intensity of his subject’s emotion to life.

From the old woman’s grim satisfaction, Holofernes’s shock, and Judith’s sense of determination, he has used their body language to convey the protagonists’ state of mind.

4. Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting By Artemisia Gentileschi 1639

This self-portrait of Artemisia Gentileschi consisted of two elements; A self Portrait and an Allegory.

This Painting depicts a powerful symbol for its viewers of how the artist sees herself.

Artemisia depicts herself holding a brush in one hand and a palette in the other.

With her unruly hair, iridescent dress, and wearing a gold chain with a medallion in the form of a mask.

She cleverly identifies herself as the female personification of painting (Pittura’).

Her expertly rendered portrait speaks for her skills; from her challenging pose to the intellectual allusion of ‘Pittura’ making this painting a truly original image.

5. Arrangement In Grey And Black No.1 By James McNeil Whistler 1871

Arrangement In Grey And Black No.1 is a portrait of the painter’s mother, that’s why it’s also called “Whistler’s Mother”. 

The painting is a simple formal composition and a nuanced symphony of grays, blues, and yellows.

Yet the Whistler’s Mother looks out of place in his Japanese-inspired room. She is just simply an unexpected part of the decorative composition.

Whistler defined the work as an art object rather than a portrait of a specific person; he believed in making art for the sake of art.

This painting also became a symbol of motherhood when the U.S. Post Office issued a stamp engraved with this image and the saying “In Memory and In Honor of the Mothers of America”.

6. Woman with a Parasol By Claude Monet 1875

Monet’s Woman with a Parasol is one of the most famous paintings of women in art history.

The painting depicts a woman in a stylish dress, with her parasol shading her from the sun.

The woman is wearing a necklace and a bracelet with pearl earrings, which matches the elegant style of her dress.

Apart from this, we cannot miss the background, where we see a yacht and another building.

The painting is one of the earliest examples of Impressionist art.

This painting helped to influence the development of Impressionism as a movement in the art world.

7. Madame X by John Singer Sargent 1884

John Singer Sargent’s infamous painting – Madame X was considered too scandalous for 18th-century Parisian society.

The muse was soon recognized as the gorgeous Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau – a well-known beauty of Parisian society at her time. 

This famous painting of women created an uproar when it was exhibited in the Paris salon of 1884 as the French considered it to be too provoking.

The controversy forced Sargent to repaint the right strap of her dress, which was originally painted slipping off the shoulders.

The painting may not have been a success in Paris but as they say, “there is no such thing as bad publicity”; so it led him to have a great career, both in America and England.

8. Flaming June By Frederic Leighton 1895

A Victorian painting by Frederic Leighton that explores the similarities between sleep and death.

An idea that piqued the curiosity of many Victorian artists then.

The woman enjoys a nap under a canopy during a hot summer day, seeming calm with a flush.

Her peaceful and motionless frame is draped in bright orange which nearly fills the entire canvas.

Moreover, you will see above her, we see the glorious Mediterranean Sea shining with the reflection of the sunlight.

You can also read John’s The Soul of the Rose, which depicts yet another beautiful and mysterious lady.

9. The Crystal Ball by John William Waterhouse 1902

The Crystal Ball is one of John William’s most famous works. .

The painting depicts a woman holding a crystal ball in her hand, staring at it intently.

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This is one of the paintings of women which is largely influenced by the style of Renaissance architecture and pre-Raphaelites.

William is known for his surrealist artwork which used everyday objects to create a sense of mystery and intrigue.

The Crystal Ball captures the tension between reality and illusion too, which is also present in many of his other paintings.

10. Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I By Gustav Klimt 1907

This painting is the first in the series of two paintings by Adele Bloch-Bauer.

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I and various other paintings were commissioned by and owned by the Bloch-Bauer family.

Gustav Klimt was an artist who passionately practiced his craft and daringly rebelled against the institutes.

He was shy as well as charming and was dearly adored by the women he painted.

He also painted women as heroines in the battlefield as his work in Judith and the Head of Holofernes depicts.

Klimt painted the portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I in his ‘golden phase’, and evidently it is today considered to be amongst one of the most expensive paintings in the world.

Often referred to as ‘The Woman In Gold’, the painting has a colorful history of theft and long legal battles.

11. The Blue Room by Suzanne Valadon 1920

The Blue room by Susanne Valadon is an unconventional portrait of its time.

The painting depicts a clothed reclining on her bed, with a cigarette in her mouth and a few books by her feet.

She lays without any care on a messy bed, with a floral sheet.

Besides her goal is to show a real woman of modern society and not a woman depicted by the male gaze.

As a matter of fact, Valadon is a self-taught artist who started her journey in the art world as a muse.

Today, she is remembered as a model, lover, mother, and most importantly a painter.

Suzanne Valadon was a rebel who changed the path of art expression forever by shattering gender norms for women in art.

The Blue Room is definitely her masterpiece, made from her personal experience to embody the intricate layers of womanhood that questioned society’s narrative of a woman. 

12. Le Rêve by Pablo Picasso 1932

Le Reve (The Dream) is a painting by 50-year-old Picasso of his 24-year-old mistress – Marie-Thérèse Walter.

This large-scale lustful portrait of sexual desire and expression carries interest for its viewers.

Here we can see that Picasso used Fauvist and Cubist styles to create this distorted version of reality as well as an abstract version of his own penis on the upturned face of his model.

The oversimplified outlines and great color combinations help highlight the erotic nature of this painting.

13. Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird By Frida Kahlo 1940

Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird is one of the most famous paintings of Frida Kahlo.

This self-portrait of Kahlo is almost a collection of symbols, giving us a peek into her mental and emotional state that cannot be deduced by her impassive stare.

The thorn necklace is a symbol of the pain and suffering that Kahlo endured throughout her life, whereas the hummingbird is a symbol of hope and resilience.

Frida painted this painting after she ended her marriage with her husband Diego Rivera.

14. Woman I By Willem de Kooning 1952

Woman I is a powerful painting of women that takes inspiration from women in all their forms across history.

This arresting image is intimidating yet intriguing as it rejects the traditional representations of women.

Willem de Kooning’s grotesque portrayal of women in itself challenges the line between figurative and abstract painting.

Huge eyes, a menacing grin, massive breasts, distorted limbs, and a ferocious stare are heightened by the artist’s undisciplined brushwork evidently.

Today, it is one of the most celebrated portrayals of the female form.

15. Portrait of Dora Maar by Pablo Picasso

How can we forget Portrait of Dora Maar while discussing famous paintings of women? 

This portrait is a symbol of new love, passion, musings and adultery altogether at once! 

Made in 1937, the portrait depicts Dora Maar drawn and painted using Picasso’s signature cubism strokes. 

She is shown elegantly sitting on a chair, clothed with fine jewelry and sophisticated attire. 

Although Picasso’s and Dora Maar’s relationship lasted for nine years, he was also involved with other women, including his wife and other mistresses. 

Dora Maar was known to be one of Picasso’s greatest muses and she influenced his work a lot. 

16. Lady Agnew of Lochnaw by John Singer Sargent

This is one of the most striking paintings of women you must have come across.

Yes, I am talking about the Lady Agnew of Lochnaw by John Singer Sargent. 

The subject of this female portrait is in fact Gertrude Vernon, who was later married to Sir Andrew Noel Agnew, becoming Lady Agnew.

Her gorgeous features are beautifully captured through this portrait, with the highlight being her endearing stare which speaks volumes. 

The portrait is known for “conversing” with the audience admiring it, with the liveliness and beauty it holds. 

17. Blue Marilyn by Andy Warhol 1964

Blue Marylin by Andy Warhol is one of the most famous paintings of women in Pop Art.

In fact, there has been no painting as important to Andy Warhol and his career as this painting of Marylin Monroe.

Warhol’s portrait of celebrities has been a way to comment on their iconic status and the holiness their fans view them with. 

He created this diptych sometime after Monroe’s suicide, it was to remind their audience and fans that there is a real person beyond all the fame and glamour.

Moreover, this diptych is interpreted to be a celebration of the artist as well as a satire on the world’s obsession with materiality and fame.

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Female figures have had inspiration for artists to create art in styles that prevailed during their time. Ranging from women as goddesses, reclining nudes,

Celebrate the woman you are today with a painting. Let your life shine through with art. Relive your achievements and lost moments with loved ones with a handmade painting. 

Dear reader,

I hope this article helped you appreciate the world’s most famous muse – A woman.

If I have missed your favorite painting of women or if we have missed any information that you wish us to add, please let us know in the comment section below.

All facts and figures are taken from official sources.

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