At the beginning of the twentieth century, our calendar appeared new holiday, the name of which sounded like a revolutionary slogan: “International Women’s Day of solidarity of working women in the struggle for equal rights.”
Fortunately, over time, this day has acquired a completely different meaning, and for us, March 8 is a holiday of female beauty and charm.
Wanting to combine the historical with the pleasant, we have collected several paintings of sweet, flirtatious and strong working women from great artists - eternal captives of female beauty and virtues!
Alexey Venetsianov, a native of Moscow, first visited the village at the age of 35, when after his wedding the newlyweds went to visit their wife's parents in the Tver province.
The artist was so fascinated by nature that he immediately had a desire to settle among the Russian expanses and he bought an estate in Safonovka.
It is here that he paints the painting “On the Plowed Field”. All of Venetsianov’s work is permeated with poetry; his paintings, dedicated to peasant life, idealize village life.
Since childhood, Zinaida Serebryakova has been in love with Venetsianov’s paintings. In her early paintings one can feel an invisible connection with the work of the Russian writer of everyday life. Venetsianov’s peasant women, a hundred years later, seem to continue to live in her paintings.
The artist’s village girls are majestic, with a regal bearing; they leisurely do their daily work - true poetry of spirituality!
Zinaida Evgenievna Serebryakova "Harvest"
1915, 177×142 cm.
The paintings “Harvest” and “Whitening Canvas” are classified as the best works Zinaida Serebryakova. They were painted on the Neskuchnoye family estate in the Kharkov province, where the Serebryakov family spent summer and autumn since 1898.
In 1914, after a long trip to the North of Italy, Zinaida arrived in Neskuchnoye and immediately began working on the painting “Harvest.”
Studying the creativity of artists Italian Renaissance, only recently seen in museums and galleries, is felt in the classically constructed composition, and the monumentality of the forms emphasizes the beauty of female figures against the backdrop of a landscape with wheat fields unevenly stretching beyond the horizon.
These paintings are considered the last idyllic paintings of pre-revolutionary Russia.
Zinaida Evgenievna Serebryakova." Whitening the canvas "
1917, 141.8×173.6 cm.
Lace, powder, lipstick - everything a charming woman needs...
French ladies also work tirelessly on artists' paintings. In the Rococo era, the most fashionable profession for city women was that of a milliner.
Elegant and luxurious outfits, corsets, embroidery and lace were all women's thoughts, because it was necessary to keep up with the trendsetter Madame Pompadour!
And the fantasies of young maidens were embodied by jacks of all trades - milliners.
Francois Boucher in the painting “The Milliner” seems to be sneaking a peek into the room and spying on the ladies who are discussing the future model.
Francois Boucher. "The Milliner"
53x64 cm. In the 18th century, during the Enlightenment in France, it was customary in art to praise and affirm the virtues of the third estate, and in painting in good form
simplicity and naturalness were considered.
Jean-Baptiste Greuze in the film “The Laundress” not only depicts a graceful and charming young worker - in this way he glorifies hard work.
In Russia in the second half of the 18th century, Grez became a fashionable artist, the noble nobility vied with each other to order portraits from him, Empress Catherine II herself, on the advice of Diderot, purchased the painting “The Paralytic” from the artist.
Of course, such popularity of Greuze’s work did not go unnoticed by Russian painting; his paintings had a great influence on Russian portraiture.
Jean-Baptiste Greuze "The Laundress"
1761, 32×40 cm.
Lacemakers Vasily Tropinin was called “Russian Dreams” for his charming portraits of women. For the first time in Russian painting he created new type genre portrait - poetic image
girls at work.
The young beauties in the paintings “The Lacemaker” and “The Goldsmith,” busy with their work, take their eyes off their work for a moment and look slyly at the viewer.
Vasily Andreevich Tropinin. "The Goldsmith"
1826, 64×81 cm.
Tropinin was a serf artist and only at the age of 47 received his freedom. It is symbolic that it was 1823, the year of writing “The Lacemaker,” that brought the artist both freedom and official recognition.
This year he shows his works at the Academy of Arts for the first time, and the artist is awarded the title of “appointed academician.” Thus, an intimate portrait of a city woman brought freedom and success to its creator.
Tropinin "The Lacemaker"
Homemaker Household
You can ask yourself many questions when looking at a painting. For example, why is a young girl gutting a bird wearing an elegant dress and beads? Does she have a large family, because dinner involves a fair amount of dishes?
Who is depicted in the picture - maybe the artist depicted his wife and that’s why she looks at the viewer so affectionately? This option is quite possible: the picture on everyday story Strozzi’s is a great rarity, and for his wife he could well have made an exception.
Bernardo Strozzi "The Cook"
1625, 185×176 cm.
Author of the picture - Italian artist Baroque era with a remarkable biography. Strozzi's adventurous character was reflected in all his activities: in his youth he joined the Capuchin Order and became a priest, then studied painting in the workshop of the Genoese artist Sorri and at the same time worked as a naval engineer in the Genoese fleet.
Later, the artist escaped from the monastery and hid from persecution by the monks in Venice. But Strozzi never gave up painting. His main theme was portraits, religious and mythological scenes, and creative manner Caravaggio's painting had a great influence.
The “profession” of a shepherdess was once very popular and artists often turned to it. Touching image We find a middle-aged shepherdess in the works of Van Gogh, who painted simple villagers with special warmth and love.
Look at the color of the picture: yellow wheat fields - the color of the sun and warmth, softly contrasted with the blue cape of the shepherdess - a frequent technique in the artist’s works, but it does not evoke anxious feelings, as in his other paintings.
Van Gogh conveys his feelings unusually accurately with shades of color. No matter what whirlwinds rage around, the woman is calm and submissive difficult fate...And our dominant and sincere feeling when you see this picture - “empathy”.
Vincent Van Gogh. "Cowgirl"
1889, 52.7×40.7 cm.
The artist created this work during treatment in Saint-Rémy in the south of France. During this period of 1889-1890, he studied the work of the founder of the Barbizon school, Jean Francois Millet, and during this time he made copies of 23 of his paintings, including “The Shepherdess” (although it is difficult to call Van Gogh’s painting a copy).
Vincent writes to his brother about his occupation:
“I assure you that I am terribly interested in making copies, and since I do not have models now, I will not abandon work on the figure with the help of these copies.
I use black and white reproductions of Delacroix and Millet as if they were real life subjects. And then I improvise the color, although of course not exactly as if I did it myself, but trying to remember their paintings.
However, this “remembering”, the unclear harmony of their colors... is my interpretation.”
Comparing the paintings of the two artists, it seems that Van Gogh painted the shepherdess in his imagination.
Millet "Shepherdess" 1, Millet "Shepherdess" 2.
Jean Baptiste Chardin observed the lives of ordinary townspeople and wrote stories from them. Everyday life. The painting “The Laundress” exudes a quiet homely comfort, where everything is warmed by the cares of the hostess.
While mom is doing the laundry, the son is busy with his simple fun. Children's images are always present in Chardin's paintings, emphasizing the love of a mother for her child. Demonstration of these relationships helps him create a spiritual atmosphere of warmth and a modest, but significant and fulfilling life for the townspeople.
Women's labor in the artist's paintings is equated to noble work done with special diligence and love.
Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin. "The Laundress"
Socialist Labor editorials - we new world let's build it!
Women in the Soviet country are mastering new professions. Here they are not just some Western fashionistas - a Soviet woman can even build a metro!
In the graphic series of the 1930s by Alexander Samokhvalov, portraits of girls who worked as subway workers embodied the ideal of socialist labor.
Enthusiasm, youthful energy, optimism and strength are overflowing in these works - we will build a new country. Here she is with a drill, with a shovel, beautiful, strong and happy, she can do anything!
The artist joined the ideological path of the country; he sincerely believes in universal creation for the benefit of a bright future. And the artist’s spiritual impulses are quite tangible matter, just look at the works!
Portrait in painting is a genre visual arts, in which artists achieve not so much external resemblance how much they try to reflect internal character the person depicted. A portrait can be individual or collective; the master artist creates an image typical of a certain era.
History of the genre
How it developed during the times of ancient art. On the island of Crete, during excavations, many frescoes with images of women were found. Other art monuments date back to Egypt, where wooden boards were discovered with portraits depicted on them using the encaustic technique (these are wax-based paints). During the Middle Ages, portraits in painting existed only to depict donors and were part of the general artistic composition on religious themes.
The heyday of painting fell on the Renaissance. Renaissance artists preached humanistic ideas and took the world of the individual as a basis; landscapes and interiors were given a modest role as a background. The masterpiece of that time was La Gioconda, and its author Leonardo da Vinci became famous for centuries.
Titian made a huge contribution to the development of the genre; he created a whole gallery of portraits of his contemporaries. Self-portraits of artists such as Jan van Eyck and Albrecht Durer are examples for many portrait artists.
Portrait of a woman in painting
The eternal theme of art is the depiction of the image of a woman. Each era drew its own ideal of a woman, and her character attracted Special attention many artists. Looking at the portrait of those times, we can see how the appearance and inner world influenced by certain events public life, art, literature, fashion.
Russian art in general, and portraiture in painting in particular, show how the ideal of female beauty has changed over the centuries. This is due to a change in worldview, habits, customs, with a change in systems of government and generations.
Images of women
By the end of the 18th century, Russian portraiture in painting reached its peak. And one of the most important and popular topics is the depiction of female charm. On the canvases we see flirtatious and seductive women. And in the portraits of foreign artists, Russian ladies and young ladies look like dolls, they coyly and playfully smile, and this makes one look like the other.
Russian artists I.P. Argunov, D.G.Levitsky, V.L. Borovikovsky sees a woman differently. They bring psychological revitalization and concrete character to a woman’s portrait. In painting they try to convey a living and real picture of the morals, tastes and fashion of the era of female omnipotence. We see the whole spectrum female characters: arrogant cold beauty and tender soft dreaminess, coquetry and modesty, spiritual charm and severe secrecy with isolation. But to dominate the hearts of men is the main thing.
New ideals
The era of romanticism of the 19th century was designed to show a woman’s special sensitivity and subtle movements of the soul. The work of Karamzin and Zhukovsky had a huge influence on artists of the beginning of the century, for example, O.A. Kiprensky. Their canvases reflected all the features of romanticism in the portrait genre. In painting and music, as well as poetry of this time, motifs of personal lyrical experiences and the mysterious beauty of native antiquity were in demand (A. N. Verstovsky’s romantic opera “Askold’s Grave” of 1835 was especially popular).
But by the middle of the century, the sublimity and dreaminess of female images disappeared without a trace. From the paintings of this period you can study fashion trends. Feathers on hats, jewelry, and lace are carefully painted; getting carried away by the details, artists often forget about the character himself. Arrogance reigns in the images of secular beauties, and that warmth and simplicity is no longer there.
But some artists of the beginning of the century, in particular Venetsianov and Tropinin, in search of “living” images turn to to the common people. The "common people" movement emerged portrait of a woman, an idealized image of a working woman is created.
Paintings by K.S. Petrova-Vodkina
The new century is characterized by the search for new forms in the portrait genre. In painting (the 6th grade of the school studies in detail the topic “Female Images” in art classes), artists turn to the past and the future in search of the female ideal. The theme of motherhood and femininity occupies great place in the works of V. Petrov-Vodkin. In the work “Mother” the artist achieved a full disclosure of the theme. His painting is a hymn to family happiness and the holiness of love. In the image of the mother, we feel moral strength, purity and sublimity; hugging the child to herself, she resembles the Madonna.
Painting “Our Lady. Tenderness of Evil Hearts” was written by him during the First World War; it is the artist’s emotional response to the bloody events of those times. He created a sublime and reverent image, which in terms of the depth of its impact is one of the most powerful in his work.
The image of a woman has changed from era to era, but has retained the main enduring features: beauty, tenderness, motherhood.
Rembrandt van Rijn Saskia as Flora. Woman in the form flora(colors). This is how this picture is deciphered. Flowers in Saska's hands are like a wand. The headband looks like a crown. The woman herself is like the queen of wildlife.
Raphael Santi Madonna by Raphael. The picture is old, but beautiful. Artists highlight only the most beautiful things in their works, and this is a mother with her children. Rafael Santi decided not to be different from other artists and painted the painting "Madonna". I believe that this picture is worthy of honor and a high rating.
Rafael Santi Lady with a unicorn. The artist's imagination was elegant. Painting a lady with a unicorn, a creature that is in itself a magical creation, could not fail to become the subject of the venerable art of Raphael Santi himself. I think it makes no sense to talk about the beauty of a lady. This woman is excellent.
Rafael Santi. Small Madonna of Cowper. Italian painter and
architect, one of the most
great artists throughout
world history, master
Madonnas, depicted another Madonna with blond hair and a child in her arms. The simplicity of her face and gaze amazes me.
Sandro Botticelli Madonna and Child with Angels. The picture clearly shows that even the angels admire the unearthly beauty of this incomparable beautiful woman. Their hands reach out to her, like the hands of babies reach out to their mother. Angels are ambassadors of God.
Sandro Botticelli. Venus and Mars. The painting was painted in 1483. Written perhaps
commissioned by a merchant family
Vespucci. One historian has suggested that Mars is depicted with closed
eyes, as it is
under influence
intoxicants. And whether it is true or not, no one knows.
Zinaida Serebryakova Nurse with a child. How beautiful and magnificent Russian women are. And being a mother is also a feat. Being a mother of children and always looking good is not only a great art, but also hard work.
Ivan Petrovich Argunov Portrait of Empress Catherine II. 1762 I. P. Argunov
received a responsible order
- creating a portrait
Empress Catherine II. Seeing your portrait
written by Ivan
Petrovich “by heart”, Catherine was
pleasantly surprised.
Ivan Petrovich Argunov Paintings by Argunov. Portrait of Lobanova-Rostovskaya. Just look at her thin waist. Women of that time tried to take care of their figure as best as possible. Beautiful, lush outfits, decorated precious stones They look gorgeous even on the ugliest women.
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Ivan Petrovich Argunov Portrait of an unknown woman in a peasant costume. one of the most famous
works of Russian
artist. Portrait
unknown reflects interest
to peasant themes,
appeared at that time in
Russian society. Interest is caused by the origin of the author himself.
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Paintings famous artists keep the secrets of the people depicted on them. We invite you to take a walk through the virtual art gallery and explore the stories of the women in the paintings. These stories can be romantic, mystical or just funny.
This work of art - one of the painter's most famous paintings - was first presented to the public in Italy, where it was favorably received by critics. Karl Bryullov was the first Russian artist to become famous in prim Europe. For a long time it was assumed that this painting was a portrait of the young Countess Yulia Samoilova, whom the artist loved very much and often depicted on his canvases. For example, in the film “The Last Day of Pompeii” three characters at once have the facial features of Yulia Samoilova. However, when comparing the painting “Horsewoman” with the portraits of the Countess that Bryullov painted later, it becomes clear that the painting is not Yulia Samoilova. But who? In one of his paintings, Karl Bryullov depicted Countess Samoilova with his pupil Giovannina, in another painting he painted the same countess with adopted daughter Amazilia. Researchers of Bryullov’s work have come to the conclusion that the painting depicts precisely these girls, who were raised by the countess. But paintings by famous artists usually carry some kind of mystery. To solve the riddle from this painting, you need to take a closer look at the dog in a collar, which the artist depicted next to the little girl. The name of its owner, Samoilov, is written on the collar.
It seems that how the painting “Alyonushka” was created has long been known to everyone. It is believed that Vasnetsov, in the image of the sad heroine of Russian epics, portrayed the girl with whom fate brought him together in the village of Akhtyrka. Speaking about this painting, many cite a quote from Vasnetsov himself, where he admits that the image of Alyonushka has long settled in his head, but final version The portrait was formed when in the village of Okhtyrka he met a simple girl. But is it? In one of the artist’s notes you can read the true story of the painting. Vasnetsov admits that, although he already had a sketch of a painting based on this simple girl, it is not a life-based genre piece. The artist was actually inspired by the eyes of Verusha Mamontova. He admitted that the eyes of this particular girl seemed to him everywhere and settled in his soul. Who is Verusha Mamontova? Of course, her image is familiar to art lovers, because she is the one depicted in Serov’s painting “Girl with Peaches.” Now, knowing the artist’s revelations, in Alyonushka you can easily find the facial features of Verusha Mamontova.
Sometimes paintings by famous artists surprise you with where such a plot comes from, sometimes the sources of inspiration are unexpected. This can be said about the history of writing the painting “Unequal Marriage”. One aristocrat from Moscow decided to write down his memoirs, where he talked about all his relatives, including his uncle Sergei Varentsov. In 1862, this uncle, as a young man, suddenly fell in love with the pretty daughter of the merchant Rybnikov, Sofia. And he fell in love so much that he even proposed marriage, but he was refused. The girl’s prudent father did not want to give his daughter in marriage to a young and frivolous rake, but preferred to give her hand to the elderly and not poor merchant Korzinkin (interestingly, the “elderly” groom was then 38 years old). By an unfortunate coincidence, young Varentsov had to play the role of best man at this wedding. The artist Vasily Pukirev was so imbued with this story and torment loving heart who created this painting. Thanks to this painting, Vasily Pukirev received the title of professor, as well as good money: the canvas was immediately bought by the art collector Borisovsky, and Tretyakov bought it from him. True, Pukirev had to redo the canvas a little, because Varentsov recognized himself in the best man in this picture. The artist portrayed Varentsov so accurately in his work that, thanks to the popularity of the painting, his unhappy love began to be discussed throughout Moscow. As a result, Pukirev had to rewrite the best man’s face and now, looking at the picture, the public sees in the background an image of Pukirev’s own face.
Painting “Portrait of M. I. Lopukhina” by Vladimir Borovikovsky
This painting was created in 1797 and is a romantic female image. It has been captivating the public for centuries, and art connoisseurs consider it an ode to sentimentalism. Paintings by famous artists are often accompanied by mystical fables. Such a fable is connected with this picture. The image of an 18-year-old beauty is the first painting in the history of Russia to be steeped in mysticism. The girl depicted in the portrait was the daughter of Count Ivan Tolstoy. In the year the portrait was painted, she married Stepan Lopukhin, who served in the administration of Paul I. Immediately after the wedding, her husband ordered Borovikovsky portrait his beloved wife. The marriage did not last long, because 3 years after the wedding the young princess died of an illness - consumption. The inconsolable father bought the painting with a portrait of his daughter from his son-in-law and hung it in his house. It must be said that Count Tolstoy was a master Masonic lodge and was interested in mysticism. There were rumors that the count, using magic, was able to summon the spirit of his deceased daughter and breathe it into Borovikovsky’s painting. There is a fable - any girl who looks at the portrait will definitely die. They even cited “very reliable facts” that the portrait killed at least a dozen young girls. Fortunately for posterity, Tretyakov did not believe in mysticism and a century later he bought the painting, which millions of viewers can now see in the gallery named after him.
The paintings of famous artists are distinguished by the fact that in their works they glorify the female ideal. Even when depicting the Madonna, artists of all times without a twinge of conscience painted portraits of their lovers, many of whom were women of not the most noble origin. For example, researchers of Raphael’s work say that the artist met the daughter of a poor baker, Fornarina, on one of the streets of Rome. The artist fell in love with her. Raphael, who was already widely known and occupied a high position on the social ladder, bought the girl from her father and rented a luxurious house for her. The artist really considered her the ideal of beauty and lived with her until his death for 12 years. But they say that the beauty herself was not loyal to her benefactor and cuckolded him both with the artist’s students and with those who ordered the paintings. After the death of Raphael, because of the reputation of this woman, the Pope did not even want to perform the funeral service for him, because Fornarina was standing nearby. Despite all this, it is Fornarina’s face that we see in the painting “The Sistine Madonna.” Raphael also gave her the face of many other Madonnas painted by his hand.