Abstract art emerged in the 1900s as a movement of artists who sought to deviate from the constraints of traditional art styles. Instead, the genre relies on visual symbolism, using shape, color, line, and form to create artwork independent of references to recognizable reality. Some of the most notable abstract artists include Wassily Kandinsky, Jackson Pollock, and Pablo Picasso. – Abstract Paintings Of Women
As the name implies, “abstraction” communicates the idea of being detached from something. It was deliberately chosen to reflect the desire of abstract painters to separate their works from reality as opposed to traditional art, which typically depicts the natural world. The degree of abstraction varies; some abstract paintings are developed from existing visual references, while others deviate from visible reality.
Throughout recorded history, the female form has served as one of the most commonly depicted motifs in art, with several famous paintings of women existing today. Artists exhibit a great deal of admiration for the feminine nature, almost deifying femininity in their art. This article dives into some of the most famous abstract paintings of women that portray femininity.
PORTRAIT OF ADELE BLOCH BAUER – GUSTAV KLIMT
Gustav Klimt was a famous Austrian painter of the Symbolism movement. He is renowned for his figurative works and the staunch eroticism in his art. Another notable feature of his artistry is the use of the female body as his primary subject.
Also called Lady in Gold, Klimt’s one of the most famous paintings of women – Adele Bloch-Bauer was completed around 1907, and it was commissioned by her husband- Ferdinand, a successful Jewish banker, and sugar merchant. The first of two portraits of Bauer by the artist and the overpowering gold pigment fully represents Klimt’s golden phase.
The portrait is a gold mosaic composition that depicts Bauer donning a triangular gold dress and sitting on what seems like a golden throne, set before a background of golden stars. In certain places, the golden dress merged into the golden background so much that it may be challenging to outline her form.
LA SCAPIGLIATA – LEONARDO DA VINCI – Abstract Paintings Of Women
Also called Lady with Dishevelled Hair, this is an unfinished painting. Dated around 1508, the painting was done on a small wood panel using oil, pigments of white lead, and umber.
Although there is no consensus on the artist behind the painting, it is widely attributed to the iconic Renaissance painter Leonardo Da Vinci because of the skillful use of Sfumato. This technique mimics human vision when transitioning colors. Due to his study of optics and experimentation with camera obscura, Da Vinci was the most prominent method practitioner, implementing it in several famous portraits of women, including the Mona Lisa.
The painting depicts a young lady gazing downwards as her unkempt hair almost fills the frame. Her mouth is shaped into a vague smile reminiscent of the Mona Lisa. The lady’s identity and other details about the painting, such as its purpose, remain unknown.
LADY WITH AN ERMINE – LEONARDO DA VINCI
Also generally attributed to Da Vinci is this late 15th-century oil painting of Cecelia Gellerani, Duke Ludovico Sforza’s mistress. Da Vinci served as Court Painter in the Sforza court during the painting’s execution, so it is widely credited.
The painting flaunts Da Vinci’s mastery of illustrating the human form. The subject is painted in great detail, with skillful attention to even the subtlest details such as wrinkles and contours. In 2016, Princes Czartoryski Foundation sold the painting to the Polish government for €100 million. It resides at Poland’s Czartoryski Museum in Krakow and is considered a national treasure.
The painting depicts Gallerani adorned in the latest Milanese fashion of the period. Her head turns away from the viewer as she fixes her gaze on something out of frame, the ermine nestled in her arms swivels in the same direction. It has been postulated that perhaps her lover, Ludovico, is whom she’s staring at.
THE PROPHETESS ANNA – REMBRANDT VAN RIJN
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, simply known as Rembrandt, was a prolific Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker. Influenced by Caravaggio’s Chiaroscuro method, Rembrandt hardly used colorful palettes in his paintings. Instead, he preferred rendering portraits in contrasting use of light and shade.
This painting depicts an older woman reading a book presumed to be the Bible, and the subject is generally believed to be the Prophetess Hanna. According to the biblical book of Luke, she was present when Joseph and Mary brought their son Jesus to the Temple. Hannah, who had devoted herself to temple service since she became a widow, immediately recognizes the infant Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah.
In true Chiaroscuro fashion, the painting uses lighting to accentuate the foreground while the background remains a shadowy void. The light source comes from behind the older woman, illuminating the book and her wrinkled hand, which form the brightest parts of the painting. It is said that Rembrandt used his mother as a model for the painting, which is why it is also called Rembrandt’s Mother.
WOMAN IN A BLACK-TIE – AMEDEO MODIGLIANI
Modigliani was an Italian painter who worked primarily in France. Renowned for his portraits, Modigliani’s art is characterized by slender figures and elongated faces on often slanted heads.
Woman in a Black Tie is believed to depict Modigliani’s first lover and journalist, Beatriz Hastings. According to individual biographies, Hastings had such a powerful effect on the artist that she could tame his arrogance into docile submission. But unfortunately, they separated after their daughter died at birth.
The 1917 painting shows a woman in a white shirt and black tie. Her slanted head bears closed almond-shaped eyes, a slender triangular nose, and a small mouth painted in deep red.
Conclusion
Every art enthusiast knows that there is potentially more to a painting than what meets the eye. Abstract art is famous for encouraging a deeper search beyond the surface level. For example, when it depicts women, the keen viewer gets a renewed understanding of femininity beyond the aesthetics.
