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Period: 500 to 1400
Middle Ages
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1300
The Virgin of the Annunciation by Simone Martini
From 500 to 1400 CE, women were frequently portrayed in medieval art as mothers, saints, and heroines; however, these works were frequently made by men for men. Biblical stories were frequently represented in art during this time, and the Catholic church's doctrines and beliefs regularly impacted people's lives.
Reference
The Virgin of the Annunciation by SIMONE MARTINI. (n.d.). https://www.wga.hu/html_m/s/simone/6annunci/a_virgin.html -
1330
Lancelot Rescuing a Demoiselle from Brehus sans Pitié
This particular illustration, Lancelot Rescuing a Demoiselle from Brehus sans Pitié, depicts a woman being rescued. It implies that females are weaker than males and in need of rescuing as they are damsels in distress. However, the woman is riding a horse and is not homebound, as many were during that time period.
Reference
Lancelot Rescuing a Demoiselle from Brehus sans Pitié (Getty Museum). (n.d.). https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/105WTS -
Period: 1450 to
Renaissance
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1505
Raphael, La Donna Gravida (Portrait of a Woman), c. 1505-06
Italian High Renaissance painter Raphael created La Donna Gravida (The Pregnant Woman) as an oil painting on wood between 1505 and 1506. A solemn-faced pregnant woman is shown in the portrait sitting with her left hand on her swollen stomach and facing the observer.
Reference
Brandon. (2012, August 20). La donna gravida by Raphael – Facts & history of the painting. Totally History. https://totallyhistory.com/la-donna-gravida/ -
1514
Sacred and Profane Love by Titian
The two women can be seen in the painting; one has been attired in white to symbolize pure love, while the other appears dressed in darker clothing to represent immoral love. During this time period, many women were depicted as either domestic/spiritual women or in a sexual manner. This painting shows both.
Reference
Artlex. (n.d.). 48 famous Renaissance paintings you should see. Artlex. https://www.artlex.com/artwork/renaissance-paintings/ -
Period: to
The 17th Century
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Market Scene with a Pick-Pocket by Louise Moillon, 1630
Moillon created several pieces that combine genre painting with still life. Every one shows a market scene with female vendors and consumers of fruits and vegetables. She was known for her skill with chiaroscuro, which she used to show drama through shadow. Her paintings reflect a feeling of tranquility and idealized beauty.
Reference
Louise Moillon Paintings, bio, ideas. (n.d.). The Art Story. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/moillon-louise/ -
Self Portrait, Judith Leyster 1630
Leyster's self-portrait's "informalities," such as its spontaneous brushstrokes, carefree attitude, and fleeting nature. Leyster actually uses her self-portrait to promote herself and her abilities in addition to her objects.
Reference
Judith Leyster, Self-Portrait, 1630. (n.d.). https://www.nga.gov/collection/highlights/leyster-self-portrait.html -
Period: to
The 18th Century
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The Swing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, 1767
The French painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard made this oil painting titled "The Swing" at some point between 1767-1768. It was said that a gentleman of the court asked the painter to depict his mistress being pushed on a swing. People in the painting are not images of anyone in particular, but their fancy clothing and relaxed demeanor show their noble standing.
Bruckbauer, A. (n.d.). Smarthistory – Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Swing. https://smarthistory.org/jean-honore-fragonard-the-swing/ -
Marie-Antoinette dit à la Rose, Brun 1783
1755 saw the birth of Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun in Paris. She established herself as an artist by the time she was fifteen. Marie Antoinette (1755–1793), the Duchess of Austria, was born in Vienna. She was the daughter of the Hapsburg Empire's ruler Maria-Theresa and the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I. Because of her looks and knack for starting trends, Antoinette was regarded as one of the most stylish ladies of all time.
https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1783-vigee-le-brun-antoinette/ -
Period: to
The 19th Century
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Ophelia by John Everett Millais, 1851
To create this piece, model Elisabeth Siddall had to lie in a bath of water, heated by oil lamps, and caught a cold so dangerous her father threatened to sue Millais for £50. Unfortunately for Millais, his mournful painting of Ophelia was shown at the Royal Academy Exhibition in 1852, the same exhibition that Arthur Hughes debuted an entirely more vibrant, expressive portrait of Ophelia.
https://www.arthistoryproject.com/artists/john-everett-millais/ophelia/ -
The Dance Lesson by Edgar Degas, 1879
The Dance Lesson, a collection of over forty paintings with an horizontal format, was painted sometime in 1879. He was more interested in the relaxed, informal, behind-the-scenes moments of dancers practicing or taking a break than in the formal, polished performance. Viewers can enter the ballet world of Paris through The Ballet Class and witness it in its truest form. Degas's fascination with painting ballerinas shows his admiration for contemporary artistic methods and traditional beauty. -
Period: to
The 20th Century (American)
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Period: to
The 20th Century
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Primordial Chaos, No. 16, 1906–07 by Hilda af Klint
Hilma af Klint, Swedish artist and mystic, lived from 1862 to 1944. Her paintings are regarded as some of the earliest abstract pieces in Western art history. She was a member of a group of ladies known as "The Five" and believed that it was crucial to make contact with the referred to "High Masters"—typically through séances. Her drawings served as a visual aid for understanding difficult spiritual concepts; they occasionally resemble diagrams.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilma_af_Klint -
Music- Pink and Blue
While Georgia O'Keeffe was making the shift from teaching in Texas to pursuing her career as a full-time artist in New York, she made Music, Pink, and Blue. It is inspired by O"Keeffe's passion for music. She acknowledged in an interview that she couldn't put into words the excitement that music gave her. She was motivated to transform music into something visually pleasing because of this.
Music Pink and Blue by Georgia O’Keeffe. (n.d.). https://www.georgiaokeeffe.org/music-pink-and-blue/ -
Grimm's Fairy Tales by Elenore Plaisted Abbott
Elenor Abbot has a classic Art Nouveau style with vibrant colors, bold black lines, and many details. She was eventually able to draw traditional fairy tales and adventures that were initially intended for an older audience but were later adapted for a younger and more sensitive audience because she could remain realistic and romantic without being mushy.
House, T. P. (2024, March 27). Elenore Plaisted Abbott: a biography of an artist. HubPages. https://discover.hubpages.com/art/elenore-abbott -
Hand and Mirror by Dora Maar
Artist Dora Maar lived for nearly the whole 20th century. She is primarily recognized now for serving as Picasso's Weeping Woman's inspiration. But Maar's own work was revolutionary, political, and inventive. Picasso, the surrealists, and photographers were all influenced by her.
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/dora-maar-15766/seven-things-know-dora-maar -
Period: to
Late 20th Century/21st Century
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Angel by Niki de Saint Phalle
The artist Niki de Saint Phalle was French-American. She wed writer Harry Mathews in 1950, the two of them relocating to Paris after having two kids. After having a psychological breakdown in 1959, she started painting. Her creative practice and insights were telling, and she quickly turned to art as therapy.
https://coucoufrenchclasses.com/important-female-artists-of-the-19-and-20-centuries/ -
The Make Believer (Monet’s Garden) by Amy Sherald
Sherald's striking portraits address problems of race, prejudice, and portrayal of Black life in America and American art history by digging into the histories of fine art photography, painting, and beyond. Amy Sherald was officially commissioned by First Lady Michelle Obama to paint her portrait for the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Sherald currently works in New York City, but born in Georgia.
https://www.contemporaryartissue.com/top-20-most-famous-female-painters-today/