Many famous paintings of women will forever be etched into our imagination as some of the most beloved and celebrated paintings ever created. These timeless paintings continue to influence modern artists, style, and popular culture even today.
Whether they are recognized as art pieces in their own right or have become well-known because of an intriguing back story, these paintings have stood the test of time and remain relevant to this day.
In fact, roughly half of the most famous paintings in the world are portraits of women, from Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa to Johannes Vermeer’s Girl With a Pearl Earring. Let’s dive in to read about the five famous paintings of women whose popularity remains strong today.
Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci
The Mona Lisa is an oil painting on a poplar panel, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in Florence between 1503 and 1506. It is believed that Francesco del Giocondo commissioned the portrait of Lisa Gherardini, his wife, for their new home.
The painting depicts a woman who appears to be smiling and gazing at something outside of the frame. One of the many claims states that Mona Lisa was created as an allegory for idealized female beauty in early Renaissance Florence.
Mona Lisa is a complex work that has sparked countless theories throughout history. And it continues to be one of Da Vinci’s best-known paintings and remains one of art’s most mysterious masterpieces.
Woman With a Parasol by Claude Monet
Claude Monet painted Woman With a Parasol in 1875 when he was 32 years old. It’s also known as Madame Monet in Blue and White, but it was first known as Portrait of a Woman in a Straw Hat. The woman is Monet’s wife Camille Doncieux, whom he met when he was eighteen and married four years later.
It was one of his earliest impressionist paintings and its success allowed him to continue in his new style. In it, a woman walks along a path in a forest as her son carries an umbrella for her. The effect is lovely and light, with muted colors that convey a sense of calm.
The painting evokes emotions about its scene; the woman could be going on an afternoon stroll or walking through the mist after a rainstorm. Monet has captured something universal: something intimate and perfect about that moment, captured by two figures surrounded by nature. That is how the emotions led the painting straight to the list of the most famous paintings of women.
The Crystal Ball by John William Waterhouse
Waterhouse is considered one of England’s finest Pre-Raphaelite painters. While he was most celebrated for his paintings, he also created some woodcuts, poems, and even a book on art theory. One of Waterhouse’s most famous works is a painting called The Crystal Ball.
It portrays a young woman in front of her vanity mirror, looking into her crystal ball as if it were a window to her future. Her ethereal beauty has captured viewers for generations and helped cement Waterhouse as one of history’s greatest artists.
There are many interpretations of what exactly happens next; does she see a vision? Is it an illusion? No one will ever know for sure, but one thing is clear: viewers cannot stop themselves from wondering about her thoughts or fate.
The Cup of Tea by Mary Cassatt
Mary Cassatt’s The Cup of Tea has become one of her most popular and recognizable paintings, with its vibrant colors and sense of domesticity. The piece features a woman in a bonnet sitting, staring off into space while holding a cup of tea. It seems to have captured, with such remarkable immediacy, a simple and personal moment.
The art itself feels comforting and relaxing; it evokes a warm glow that extends beyond simply viewing it as part of your home décor. It has a sentimental feel to it—at once warming up your heart and reminding you of peaceful afternoons.
Girl With a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer
Girl With a Pearl Earring is an oil painting by Dutch Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer. The Dutch artist painted Girl With a Pearl Earring sometime between 1665 and 1666, making it one of his earliest surviving works.
Although the painting is incredibly detailed, even close up you can still make out elements of her face as well as her hair—the focus isn’t so much on what you can see that tells a story but rather what you imagine about who she is and what makes her special.
This shows an incredible ability on Vermeer’s part to connect with his subject and show us not just a famous painting of women but rather one woman in particular. This ability was also seen in other painters of his time period, including Caravaggio, whose Madonna and Child has been exhibited throughout museums throughout Europe since its completion in 1609.
The Bottom Line
These famed works are just the tip of the iceberg, though; there are many more famous paintings of women that have influenced popular culture over the centuries. And 1st Art Gallery is an incredible platform to browse through the famous paintings of women