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First of all, we know two things about the painting: its author and, possibly, the history of the canvas. But about the fate of those who look at us from canvases, we know not so much.
website I decided to talk about women whose faces are familiar to us, but their stories are not.
Jeanne Samary
Auguste Renoir, Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary, 1877
The 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 workshop of Renoir, who painted four portraits of her in 1877-1878, thereby glorifying much more than her acting career could have done. Zhanna played in performances from the age of 18, at 25 she got married and had 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 a noble Italian family who was already engaged at the age of 10 (!) years. However, when the girl was 14, the engagement was canceled for unknown reasons, and Cecilia was sent to a monastery, where she met (or it was all set up) the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza. An affair began, Cecilia became pregnant and the duke settled the girl in his castle, but then it was time 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 the birth of Gallerani, the duke took his son for himself, and married her to an impoverished count.
In this marriage, Cecilia gave birth to four children, kept almost the very first literary salon in Europe, visited the duke and played with pleasure with his child from a new mistress. After a while, Cecilia's husband died, the war broke out, she lost her well-being and found shelter in the house of the sister of the same wife of the duke - in such a wonderful relationship she managed to be with people. After the war, Gallerani returned to 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 good-looking, and, despite the fact that august persons, among others, sought her favor, 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 energy on charitable activities, and after the revolution she continued it in exile. The beloved eldest son died in a duel when the princess was 47 years old, and she could hardly bear this loss. With the onset 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 member of the Tolstoy count family, is depicted here at the tender age of 18. The portrait was commissioned by her husband Stepan Avraamovich Lopukhin shortly after the wedding. Ease and a slightly haughty look seem to be either the usual pose for such a portrait of the era of sentimentalism, or signs of a melancholy and poetic disposition. The fate of this mysterious girl turned out to be sad: just 6 years after the painting, Maria died of consumption.
Giovannina and Amacilia Pacini
Karl Bryullov, Horsewoman, 1832
Bryullov's "Horsewoman" is a brilliant ceremonial portrait in which everything is luxurious: the brightness of colors, the splendor of draperies, and the beauty of models. It depicts two girls who bore the surname Pacini: the eldest Giovannina is sitting on a horse, the youngest Amacilia is looking at her from the porch. The painting to Karl Bryullov, her lover of many years, was ordered by their adoptive mother, Countess Yulia Pavlovna Samoilova, one of the most beautiful women in 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 had practically gone bankrupt, and then the adopted daughters of Jovanin and Amacilia, through the courts, collected the promised money and property from the countess.
Simonetta Vespucci
Sandro Botticelli, The 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, were received at the court of Lorenzo Medici, in those years famous for lavish feasts and receptions.
Beautiful, at the same time very modest and benevolent Simonetta quickly fell in love with Florentine men. The ruler of Florence, Lorenzo himself, tried to take care of her, but his brother Giuliano was the most active in seeking her. The beauty of Simonetta inspired many artists of that time, among whom was Sandro Botticelli. It is believed that from the moment they met, Simonetta was the model for all Madonnas and Venuses by Botticelli. At the age of 23, Simonetta died of consumption, despite the efforts of the best court doctors. After that, 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 by the portrait master 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 Alexander Samarin, who belongs to a 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 hint. Alexandra Struyskaya was 18 when she was married to a very rich widower. There is a legend that for the wedding her husband gave her nothing less than a new church. And all his life he wrote poetry to her. Whether this marriage was happy is not known for certain, but everyone who has been in their house paid attention to how dissimilar the spouses are. For 24 years of marriage, Alexandra gave birth to her husband 18 children, 10 of whom died in infancy. After the death of her husband, she lived another 40 years, firmly managed the estate and left a decent fortune to the children.
Galina Vladimirovna Aderkas
B.M. Kustodiev "Merchant for tea", 1918
Kustodiev's "Merchant for 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 hungry year of 1918, when one could only dream of such an abundance.
Galina Vladimirovna Aderkas posed for the merchant's wife in this portrait-painting - a natural baroness from a family that traces its history back to one Livonian knight of the 18th century. In Astrakhan, Galya Aderkas was a housemate of the Kustodievs, from the sixth floor; the artist's wife brought the girl to the studio, noticing a 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 in the Soviet years she sang in the Russian choir, participated 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 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 Francesco del Giocondo, a silk merchant from Florence. The portrait may have been commissioned from an artist to mark 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 and let her go. Mona Lisa recovered and lived for some time with her daughters, dying at the age of 63.
The paintings of 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 simply funny.
This work of art - one of the most famous paintings of the painter - was first presented to the audience in Italy, where it was favorably received by critics. Karl Bryullov was the first Russian artist who became famous in stiff Europe. For a long time it was assumed that this picture is 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 facial features of Yulia Samoilova. However, when comparing the painting "Horsewoman" with the portraits of the Countess, which Bryullov painted later, it becomes clear that Yulia Samoilova is not in the picture. But who? In one of his paintings, Karl Bryullov depicted Countess Samoilova with her pupil Giovannina, in another picture he painted the same Countess with her adopted daughter Amazilia. Researchers of Bryullov's work came to the conclusion that these girls, who were raised by the countess, are depicted in the picture. But the paintings of famous artists usually carry some kind of mystery. To solve the riddle from this picture, you need to take a closer look at the dog in the collar, which the artist depicted near the little girl. The name of its owner, Samoilova, is written on the collar.
It seems that how the picture "Alyonushka" was created has long been known to everyone. It is believed that Vasnetsov, in the form of a sad heroine of Russian epics, portrayed a girl with whom fate brought him together in the village of Akhtyrka. Speaking about this canvas, many quote Vasnetsov himself, where he admits that the image of Alyonushka has 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 the true history of the painting. Vasnetsov admits that, although he already had a sketch of a painting painted from this simple girl, this is not a natural-genre thing. The artist was actually inspired by the eyes of Verusha Mamontova. He admitted that the eyes of this particular girl seem to him everywhere and settled in his soul. Who is Verusha Mamontova? Of course, her image is familiar to art lovers, because it is she who is painted in Serov’s painting “Girl with Peaches”. Now, knowing the revelations of the artist, in Alyonushka one can easily find the facial features of Verusha Mamontova.
Sometimes the paintings of famous artists surprise with where such a plot came from, sometimes the sources of inspiration are unexpected. This can be said about the history of writing 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 got married, but he was refused. The prudent father of the girl did not want to give her daughter in marriage to a young and frivolous rake, but preferred to give her hand to the elderly and not poor merchant Korzinkin (it is interesting that the “aged” groom was then 38 years old). By an evil 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 picture, 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 remake the canvas a little, because Varentsov recognized himself in the best man in this picture. The artist depicted Varentsov so accurately in his work that, thanks to the popularity of the painting, all of Moscow began to discuss his unhappy love. As a result, Pukirev had to rewrite the best man's face, and now, looking at the picture, the public sees in the background the image of the face of Pukirev himself.
Painting "Portrait of M. I. Lopukhina" by Vladimir Borovikovsky
This picture was created in 1797 and is a romantic female image. For more than one century, she has delighted the eyes of the public, and connoisseurs of painting consider her an ode to sentimentalism. Pictures of famous artists are often accompanied by mystical stories. Such a fable is associated with this picture. The image of an 18-year-old beauty is the first painting in the history of Russia, covered with 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 a portrait of his beloved wife to Borovikovsky. The marriage did not last long, because 3 years after the wedding, the young princess died of an illness - consumption. The inconsolable father bought a picture 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 the master of the Masonic lodge and was fond of mysticism. There were rumors that the count, with the help of magic, was able to summon the spirit of his dead daughter and breathe it into the picture of Borovikovsky. There is a fairy tale - any girl who looks at the portrait will surely 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 now millions of viewers can see in the gallery named after him.
The paintings of famous artists are distinguished by the fact that in their works they sing of the female ideal. Even depicting the Madonna, artists of all times without a twinge of conscience painted portraits of their beloved, 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. Rafael, who was already well-known at that time and occupied a high rung 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 distinguished by loyalty to her benefactor and cuckolded him both with the artist’s students and with those who commissioned paintings. After the death of Raphael, because of the reputation of this woman, the Pope did not even want to sing him, because Fornarina was standing nearby. Despite all this, it is the face of Fornarina that we see in the painting “The Sistine Madonna”. Raphael also gave her the face of many other Madonnas painted by him.
In terms of its variability, fashion loses only to the weather, although this is a moot point. Moreover, fashion is changing not only for clothes, styles or accessories, but also for female beauty. A recognized beauty of one era, after half a century can be considered an ugly woman (but we all know that there are no ugly women). At all times, artists have been very sensitive to the vagaries of fashion, as they have always strived to portray the most beautiful women of their era.
Ancient Greece and Rome
Unfortunately, the female ideals of Antiquity have to be judged by frescoes and sculptures; full-fledged paintings have not been preserved. In ancient Greece, the goddess Aphrodite, a curvaceous lady with long thick red hair, was considered the standard of female beauty. This is how she is depicted in the painting by Sandro Botticelli "The Birth of Venus", though created already in 1485. In ancient Rome, the beauty of the female face was most appreciated, and the splendor of forms was in second place. For example, the painting “Proserpina” (1874) by Dante Rossetti was created with such an eye.
Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, for the chanting of female beauty, one could go to the stake, so there was no artistic evidence left. It was strictly forbidden to demonstrate a female figure. Clothing was supposed to completely hide the body, and hair was hidden under headgear. The standard of female beauty was the holy women who gave themselves to the service of God.
Renaissance
The Renaissance is so named due to the revival of interest in the ideals of Antiquity, including in matters of female beauty. Wide hips, puffiness, an elongated face, a healthy blush - this is how the first beauty of the 15th-16th centuries should have looked. This is exactly how women are depicted in the paintings of Sandro Botticelli, Rafael Santi and Michelangelo. The ideal of Renaissance beauty can be called the Italian Simonetta Vespucci, who is depicted in several paintings by Botticelli "Spring" (1478), "The Birth of Venus" (1485), "Portrait of a Young Woman" (1485). During the Renaissance, a high forehead was in fashion, and to achieve this effect, fashionistas shaved their eyebrows and hairline. This is clearly seen in the famous painting "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo Da Vinci.
Baroque era
In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the ideal of female beauty was white-skinned women (sunburn was considered the lot of peasant women) with small breasts, tiny legs, a pale face, but with magnificent hips. In addition, any aristocrat had to have a high, complex hairstyle. These fashion trends are clearly visible in the portrait of the mistress of Louis XIV Madame de Montespan (1670) by Pierre Mignard. It is to this period that the famous work of Jan Vermeer "Woman with a Pearl Earring" (1665) belongs.
Rococo era
If in the picture a woman looks more like a porcelain doll, surrounded by fans, umbrellas, muffs and gloves, then we can safely say that we are talking about the Rococo era. At the beginning of the 18th century, “slight anorexia” came into fashion: female beauty became fragile, with narrow hips, small breasts, sunken cheeks. There is evidence that in order to obtain the effect of "sunken cheeks", some ladies removed the side teeth, leaving only the front ones - beauty requires sacrifice. The beauty canons of the Rococo era are beautifully illustrated by the portraits of François Boucher, such as "Portrait of the Marquise de Pompadour" (1756).
The era of romanticism
Only in the second half of the 19th century, natural blush, healthy freshness and roundness of forms again become the standards of female beauty. And the most attractive part of the female body is rounded shoulders, which were simply necessary for any beauty to expose. It is these women that are found in the paintings of Adolphe Bouguereau, such women were portrayed by the first impressionists (“The Birth of Venus” by Bouguereau, “The Big Bathers” by Renoir, “The Blue Dancers” by Degas).
Early 20th century
Boris Kustodiev's "Russian Venus", "Merchant's Woman for Tea", "Girl on the Volga" perfectly illustrate the canons of beauty of the early 20th century. Everything that romanticism admired in a woman became even more magnificent and weighty. 20-40 years of the twentieth century
Mid 20th century
Marilyn Monroe becomes the ideal of female beauty of the middle of the last century. A short blonde, without any excesses towards thinness or puffiness. Andy Warhol, the founder of pop art, willingly used her image in his works.
It is not yet worth talking about the further development of the ideals of female beauty, especially in their connection with painting. It should only be noted that history develops in a circle, and thinness and sickness are again in fashion.
ANTIQUITY
Women Egypt were more free and independent than women of other countries - not only of the Ancient World, but also of Europe: from the Middle Ages to the end of the 19th century. However, the so-called "equality of the sexes" in ancient Egypt was absent - because according to the world order established by Maat, the vital essence of men and women is different. The men of Egypt bowed to women, admired them, took care of them. At the same time, of course, demanding attention and respect from them. In the traditional fine arts of Egypt, women were most often represented as a loving wife holding her husband's hand or hugging his shoulder. Since the men worked outdoors in the fields or by the river, their skin was dark, while the women employed indoors from the scorching sun were light. According to the fine arts, Egyptian women are usually portrayed as frail and graceful.
Cretan women had an unnaturally narrow waist, were short and graceful in build. They hid their faces in shadow, which made the skin pale, and against its background - black eyes and hair. Women wore curls that framed their necks, curls gathered on their foreheads, or braids with woven ribbons. On their heads, the Cretan women wore magnificent hats (similar to the hats of the 19th century). Feet were often bare, but upper-class women sometimes wore embroidered leather shoes.
Fragment of the back of the throne of Tutankhamun
Painting in the Palace of Knossos. Crete
Painting in Pompeii
Fayum portrait. Egypt
MIDDLE AGES
The Middle Ages gave women a very modest, if not insignificant, place in the slender building of the social hierarchy. The patriarchal instinct, traditions that have been preserved since the days of barbarism, and finally, religious orthodoxy - all this prompted a medieval man to be very wary of a woman. The use of cosmetics and jewelry was considered an integral attribute of female "sinfulness" - both of which were severely condemned by the church. There was even a special decree according to which a marriage concluded with the help of women's "tricks" - cosmetics, outfits, etc. was considered fraudulent, illegal and could be terminated.
REVIVAL
The human personality is mediated in the Renaissance not by God, but by beauty, and above all by feminine beauty. For the first time in the history of mankind, a woman occupies an exceptional place, like the Madonna on the throne.
This is where the endless string of Madonnas comes from, gradually turning into just portraits of young women of the era. A Renaissance woman is nobility, beauty and education.
Van Eyck
Botticelli - Madonna Magnificat (Magnification of the Madonna)
Botticelli - Birth of Venus
El Greco
Raffaello
Raffaello
Bronzino
Da Vinci - Lady with an Ermine
da Vinci - Madonna Litta
da Vinci - Mona Lisa
Cristofano Allori
Giorgione - Sleeping Venus
BAROQUE
In the Baroque era (late 16th-17th centuries), naturalness again goes out of fashion. It is replaced by stylization and theatricality. The heyday of the Baroque fell on the reign of the French "Sun King" Louis XIV. Since then, the French court begins to dictate fashion throughout Europe. The female body in the Baroque period, as before, should be "rich" with a "swan" neck, broad shoulders thrown back and lush hips. But the waist should now be as thin as possible, and whalebone corsets are in vogue. Lush, frilly clothes for a long time becomes one of the main elements of women's irresistibility. The splendor of appearance was most clearly manifested in the widespread use of luxurious collars and wigs, which existed among the nobility for almost three centuries.
Rubens
Rubens with his wife
van Meer
Rembrandt
Rembrandt - Saskia
ROCOCO
At the beginning of the XVIII century. the rococo era is coming, and the female silhouette is changing again. Now the woman should resemble a fragile porcelain figurine. The solemn splendor of baroque is replaced by grace, lightness and playfulness. At the same time, theatricality and unnaturalness do not go anywhere - on the contrary, they reach their peak. Both men and women take on the appearance of a doll. The beauty of the Rococo era has narrow shoulders and a thin waist, a small bodice contrasts with a huge rounded skirt. The neckline increases, and the skirt is somewhat shortened. In this regard, close attention is beginning to be paid to underwear. Stockings come into fashion, and the petticoat is richly decorated. Exposing a woman's breasts, touching her and kissing her - from now on was considered quite decent. Modesty caused only ridicule: if a girl is ashamed, then there is nothing to boast about. Ladies, on the other hand, constantly found a reason to show their breasts - either a rose fell and pricked, or a flea bitten - “look!”. Popular entertainment of the nobility was a kind of beauty contests, where the ladies lifted up their skirts and plowed open their corsages without shame. Gallant ladies put so much make-up on their faces that, they say, husbands often did not recognize their wives.
Francois Boucher - Portrait of Louise O`Murphy
Francois Boucher
Fragonard - Swing
ROMANTICISM
The imitation of antique clothes also changed the silhouette of a woman. The dress acquires clear proportions and smooth lines. The main clothing of fashionistas was a snow-white shmeez - a linen shirt with a large neckline, short sleeves, narrowed in front and loosely enveloping the figure below. The belt has moved to the chest. Empire was one of the last distinct styles, dictating relatively clear canons of beauty and fashion. With the beginning of the 19th century, fashion begins to change so rapidly that only some of the most striking trends can be caught.
