Paintings dedicated to women. The image of a woman in the paintings of great artists

How often do we admire works of art without thinking about who is depicted in them? Only the names of the royals remain in memory, and the identity of the girl, whose foggy silhouette is visible in the corner of the picture, remains unknown. Today he will tell about the women who posed for artists’ famous paintingsAmateur. media.

Dutch Mona Lisa

The famous "Dutch Mona Lisa", "Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Jan Vermeer was painted around 1665. For a long time the painting was simply called “Girl in a Turban”, its modern name she received it only in the 20th century. The depiction of turbans in paintings has become popular since the 15th century, and Vermeer often uses this detail of the toilet in portraits. The whole picture was painted in a special genre “troni”, which meant the image of a person’s head.

The "Dutch Mona Lisa" has long been called "The Girl in the Turban"

True to its name, the viewer's eye is drawn to a large pearl earring.

According to the most common version, it is believed that his young daughter Maria posed for Vermeer’s portrait, although some researchers still suggest that it could be the daughter of the artist’s patron, philanthropist Ruyven. Maria was one of Vermeer's 15 children - his marriage was truly happy. The artist loved his wife, and she often posed for him for paintings.

Mystical portrait of young Lopukhina

The portrait of Maria Ivanovna Lopukhina, one of the representatives of the Tolstoy count family, is one of the most famous works Russian artist Borovikovsky. It was painted in 1797 and is now kept in the Tretyakov Gallery.

The portrait of M. I. Lopukhina is one of the most famous works Borovikovsky

The poet Yakov Polonsky dedicated his poems to the girl depicted in the portrait: “She passed away a long time ago, and those eyes are no longer there, and that smile is gone that silently expressed suffering - the shadow of love, and thoughts - the shadow of sadness, but Borovikovsky saved her beauty.” The artist uses traditional portrait painting technique - surrounding the character with objects that help characterize him. These are the features of the Russian landscape, and a delicate shawl, and drooping rosebuds.

The portrait of Lopukhina is considered the most poetic in Borovikovsky’s work

It is interesting that the portrait of Maria Lopukhina was used to scare young girls for a long time. The fact is that soon after painting the picture, a young woman at the age of 21 died of consumption. Many believed that the portrait seemed to take her life, and if the girls looked at the painting, they would also soon die.

Girl with an umbrella from Monet's paintings

Claude Monet's famous painting "Field of Poppies at Argenteuil" was painted in 1873. This painting appeared at an exhibition of the Impressionists in 1874, when they first declared themselves as separate group. Two figures on foreground- This is Monet's wife Camila and their son Jean.

Claude Monet's painting "Field of Poppies at Argenteuil" was painted in 1873

Monet painted, as was his custom, en plein air, trying to capture the atmosphere of airiness and movement. Interesting fact, which few people pay attention to: in the left corner of the picture there is another similar couple, a woman with a child. A barely noticeable path winds between the two couples.

The painting depicts two couples, one of which is Monet's wife and son

The love story of Monet and Camila was tragic: Monet’s father more than once threatened to deprive his son of his maintenance if he did not part with his beloved. They lived apart for a long time, but Monet could not last long without his family. However, the artist often asked his wife to pose for his paintings. We can see Camila both on the canvas “Lady in Green” and among “Women in the Garden”. There are also several separate portraits of Camila and their son. And when Camila died, he painted her posthumous portrait, which differs from the rest of the artist’s works.

Monet painted a posthumous portrait of his wife under the impression of her death

Impressed by the death of his beloved wife, Monet painted her posthumous portrait

The actress who charmed Renoir

Auguste Renoir, one of the most famous impressionist artists, loved and knew how to depict female beauty. Actress Jeanne Samari was his favorite model. Renoir painted 4 portraits from her, but the most famous was “Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary.” It was written in 1877 and is now kept in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow.

The main shades used in the portrait are pink and green.

Zhanna was from a theatrical family and did not choose her field for long. She made her theater debut in the role of Dorina in Moliere's Tartuffe, and her fame grew rapidly. Before her marriage, the girl often went to Renoir’s studio and posed for him. True, she attended sessions irregularly, and this angered the artist. But he was completely fascinated by the grace of the actress, so over and over again he invited her to become his model. But her fame and happiness did not last long: she died at 33 from typhus.

Dancer with the flexibility of a snake

The famous author of “Girl with Peaches” Valentin Serov, having met Ida Rubinstein in Paris in 1910, asked her to become a model for the new painting. Before that, she posed for many artists - Kees van Dongen, Antonio de la Gandara, Andre de Segonzac, Leon Bakst, and later for Romaine Brooks.

The portrait of Ida Rubenstein was almost immediately purchased from Serov

But it was the portrait of the Russian artist that became the most famous. The painting was almost immediately purchased from the author and placed in the collection of the Russian Museum.

Serov's daughter Olga wrote that in reality Ida was not so thin at all, and the artist deliberately stylized her

Ida Rubinstein was a famous Russian dancer and actress. From 1909 to 1911 she performed as part of Sergei Diaghilev's troupe. Rubinstein was tall, but her grace amazed the audience, and she was described as a dancer “with the flexibility of a snake and the plasticity of a woman.” The roles of Cleoparta and Zobeide became her star roles. After leaving Diaghilev, she created her own troupe, in which she performed for a long time. And in 1921 she even starred in the Italian film “The Ship”.

Paintings famous artists keep the secrets of the people depicted on them. We invite you to stroll through a 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 most famous paintings of the painter - 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 her adopted daughter Amatsilia. 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, Samoilova, 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 had long settled in his head, but the final version of the portrait was formed when he met a simple girl in the village of Akhtyrka. But is it? In one of the artist's notes you can read true story painting a picture. 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 they came from similar plot, sometimes sources of inspiration are unexpected. This can be said about the history of painting the canvas " 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 the torment of a loving heart that he created this canvas. 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, 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 a portrait of 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 “ Sistine Madonna" Raphael also gave her the face of many other Madonnas painted by his hand.

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 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 since 1898 the Serebryakov family spent summer and autumn.

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 female figures against the backdrop of a landscape with wheat fields stretching unevenly 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 simplicity and naturalness were considered good form.

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 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.” So intimate portrait townswomen brought freedom and success to its creator.

Tropinin "The Lacemaker"

Homemaker

Housekeeping has always been on women's shoulders and kitchen chores are a direct responsibility. For some this is a blessing, but for many it is a hassle. For the heroine of the film “The Cook” by Bernardo Strozzi, this is a duty and a sacred rite.

You can ask yourself many questions when looking at a picture. For example, why does a young girl gut a bird in 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, is 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 to her 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 were doing 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 are mastering new professions in Soviet country. With us, they are not just some Western fashionistas - soviet woman maybe 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 overflow in these works - we will build new country. Here she is with a drill, with a shovel, beautiful, strong and happy, she can do anything!

The artist got involved in ideological path 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!

Guys, we put our soul into the site. Thank you for that
that you are discovering this beauty. Thanks for the inspiration and goosebumps.
Join us on Facebook And In contact with

We first of all know two things about the painting: its author and, possibly, the history of the canvas. But we don’t know much about the fates of those who look at us from the canvases.

website I decided to talk about women whose faces are familiar to us, but their stories are not.

Zhanna Samari
Auguste Renoir, Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary, 1877

Actress Jeanne Samary, although she could not become a stage star (she played mainly maids), was lucky in something else: for some time she lived not far from the studio of Renoir, who painted four portraits of her in 1877-1878, thereby making her famous much more than it could do her actor career. Zhanna played in plays from the age of 18, at 25 she got married and gave birth to three children, then even wrote a children's book. But this charming lady, unfortunately, did not live long: at the age of 33 she fell ill with typhoid fever and died.

Cecilia Gallerani
Leonardo da Vinci, "Lady with an Ermine"
1489-1490

Cecilia Gallerani was a girl from the noble Italian family, who at the age of 10 (!) was already engaged. However, when the girl was 14, the engagement was broken for unknown reasons, and Cecilia was sent to a monastery, where she met (or it was all set up) with the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza. An affair began, Cecilia became pregnant and the Duke settled the girl in his castle, but then the time came to enter into a dynastic marriage with another woman, who, of course, did not like the presence of her mistress in their house. Then, after Gallerani gave birth, the duke took his son for himself, and married her to the impoverished count.

In this marriage, Cecilia gave birth to four children, ran almost the very first literary salon in Europe, visited the Duke and enjoyed playing with his child from his new mistress. After a while, Cecilia’s husband died, war came, she lost her well-being and found shelter in the house of the sister of that same Duke’s wife - it was in such wonderful relationships that she managed to be with people. After the war, Gallerani returned her estate, where she lived until her death at the age of 63.

Zinaida Yusupova
V.A. Serov, “Portrait of Princess Zinaida Yusupova”, 1902

The richest Russian heiress, the last of the Yusupov family, Princess Zinaida was incredibly beautiful, and, despite the fact that her favor was sought, among others, by august persons, she wanted to marry for love. She fulfilled her desire: the marriage was happy and brought two sons. Yusupova spent a lot of time and effort on charitable activities, and after the revolution she continued it in exile. Her beloved eldest son died in a duel when the princess was 47 years old, and she could hardly bear this loss. With the outbreak of unrest, the Yusupovs left St. Petersburg and settled in Rome, and after the death of her husband, the princess moved to her son in Paris, where she spent the rest of her days.

Maria Lopukhina
V.L. Borovikovsky, “Portrait of M.I. Lopukhina", 1797

Borovikovsky painted many portraits of Russian noblewomen, but this one is the most charming. Maria Lopukhina, a representative of the Tolstoy count family, is depicted here at the tender age of 18 years. The portrait was commissioned by her husband Stepan Avraamovich Lopukhin shortly after the wedding. Ease and a slightly arrogant look seem either normal posture for such a portrait of the era of sentimentalism, or signs of a melancholic and poetic disposition. The fate of this mysterious girl turned out to be sad: just 6 years after painting, Maria died of consumption.

Giovanina and Amacilia Pacini
Karl Bryullov, “Horsewoman”, 1832

Bryullov’s “Horsewoman” is brilliant ceremonial portrait, in which everything is luxurious: the brightness of the colors, the splendor of the draperies, and the beauty of the models. It depicts two girls who bore the surname Pacini: the eldest Giovanina is sitting on a horse, the younger Amatzilia is looking at her from the porch. The painting was ordered to Karl Bryullov, her long-time lover, by their adoptive mother, Countess Yulia Pavlovna Samoilova, one of the most beautiful women Russia and the heiress of a colossal fortune. The Countess guaranteed a large dowry for her grown-up daughters. But it turned out that by old age she was practically bankrupt, and then adopted daughters Giovanina and Amazilia collected the promised money and property from the countess through the court.

Simonetta Vespucci
Sandro Botticelli, "Birth of Venus"
1482–1486

The famous painting by Botticelli depicts Simonetta Vespucci, the first beauty of the Florentine Renaissance. Simonetta was born into a wealthy family, at the age of 16 she married Marco Vespucci (a relative of Amerigo Vespucci, who “discovered” America and gave the continent his name). After the wedding, the newlyweds settled in Florence and were received at the court of Lorenzo de Medici, which in those years was famous for its magnificent feasts and receptions.

Beautiful, at the same time very modest and friendly, Simonetta quickly fell in love with Florentine men. The ruler of Florence, Lorenzo, himself tried to court her, but his brother Giuliano sought her most actively. Simonetta's beauty inspired many artists of the time, among whom was Sandro Botticelli. It is believed that from the moment they met, Simonetta was the model for all Madonnas and Venuses painted by Botticelli. At the age of 23, Simonetta died of consumption, despite the efforts of the best court doctors. After this, the artist depicted his muse only from memory, and in his old age he bequeathed to be buried next to her, which was done.

Vera Mamontova
V.A. Serov, “Girl with Peaches”, 1887

The most famous painting The master portrait of Valentin Serov was painted in the estate of the wealthy industrialist Savva Ivanovich Mamontov. Every day for two months his daughter, 12-year-old Vera, posed for the artist. The girl grew up and turned into a charming girl, married out of mutual love to Alexander Samarin, belonging to the famous noble family. After a honeymoon trip to Italy, the family settled in the city of Bogorodsk, where three children were born one after another. But unexpectedly in December 1907, just 5 years after the wedding, Vera Savvishna died of pneumonia. She was only 32 years old, and her husband never remarried.

Alexandra Petrovna Struyskaya
F.S. Rokotov, “Portrait of Struyskaya”, 1772

This portrait by Rokotov is like an airy half-hint. Alexandra Struyskaya was 18 when she was married to a very rich widower. There is a legend that for her wedding her husband gave her nothing less than a new church. And all my life I wrote poetry to her. It is not known for certain whether this marriage was happy, but everyone who visited their house paid attention to how different the spouses were from each other. Over 24 years of marriage, Alexandra bore her husband 18 children, 10 of whom died in infancy. After her husband's death, she lived for another 40 years, firmly managed the estate and left her children a decent fortune.

Galina Vladimirovna Aderkas
B.M. Kustodiev “Merchant's Wife at Tea”, 1918

Kustodiev’s “Merchant’s Wife at Tea” is a real illustration of that bright and well-fed Russia, where there are fairs, carousels and the “crunch of French bread.” The picture was painted in the post-revolutionary famine year of 1918, when one could only dream of such abundance.

Galina Vladimirovna Aderkas, a natural baroness from a family that traces its history back to one Livonian knight of the 18th century, posed for the merchant’s wife in this portrait-picture. In Astrakhan, Galya Aderkas was the Kustodievs' housemate, from the sixth floor; The artist’s wife brought the girl to the studio after noticing the colorful model. During this period, Aderkas was very young - a first-year medical student - and in the sketches her figure looks much thinner. After graduating from university and working for some time as a surgeon, she left the profession and Soviet years she sang in a Russian choir, took part in dubbing films, got married and began performing in the circus.

Lisa del Giocondo
Leonardo da Vinci, "Mona Lisa", 1503-1519.

Perhaps one of the most famous and mysterious portraits of all times and peoples - this is the famous Mona Lisa by the great Leonardo. Among the many versions about who owns the legendary smile, the following was officially confirmed in 2005: the canvas depicts Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of the Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo. The portrait may have been commissioned from the artist to commemorate the birth of a son and the purchase of a house.

Together with her husband, Lisa raised five children and, most likely, her marriage was based on love. When her husband died of the plague and Lisa was also struck by this serious illness, one of the daughters was not afraid to take her mother to her place and left her. Mona Lisa recovered and lived for some time with her daughters, dying at the age of 63.

Portrait in painting is a genre visual arts, in which artists achieve not so much external resemblance how much they try to reflect the inner character of 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 they discovered wooden boards 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 painted its own ideal of a woman, and her character attracted the special attention of 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 image feminine 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 in art lessons studies in detail the topic “ Women's images") artists turn to the past and 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 evil hearts“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.