Women in perspective

A figura feminina, bem como o seu papel na sociedade, foram-se alterando de século para século. Desde a beleza rechonchuda e recatada à revolta boémia do cancan, da nobreza à burguesia, de mãe de família à mulher independente. Apesar de durante muito tempo lhe terem sido negados os seus direitos na sociedade, a mulher sempre teve e terá um papel fundamental em qualquer que seja o contexto ou período histórico. Exemplos disso são: no antigo Egipto Cleópatra, uma verdadeira mulher de armas, o poder figurativo das deusas gregas como Diana ou Atena, a guerreira Joana D’Arc, rainhas de peso, como Catarina a Grande, Sissi ou Maria Antonieta, ou as mais recentes personalidades culturais e políticas como Simone de Beauvoir, Indira Gandhi ou Frida Kahlo. Todos demonstraram à sua maneira a poderosa influência que as mulheres podem ter na educação, cultura, politica ou arte.

The female figure as well as her role in society has changed century by century. From the chubby and demure beauty to the cancan bohemian uprising, from the nobility to the bourgeoisie, from the mother of the family to the independent woman. Although long time their rights had been denied in society, women always were and will be fundamental, whatever the context and the history period are. Good examples of that are: in the Ancient Egypt Cleopatra, a true strong woman, the figurative power of Greek goddess as Diane or Athene, the warrior Joana D’Arc, the strong queens as Catherine the Great, Sissi or Marie Antoinette, or the most recent cultural and political personalities as Simone de Beauvoir, Indira Gandhi or Frida Kahlo. All of them had demonstrated the powerful influence that women can have in education, culture, politics or art.

Portrait of Catherine the Great at Hermitage in St Petersburg (photo by Littlelle)

Fulang-Chang and I by Frida Kahlo (1937) at MOMA in New York (photo by Littlelle)

Por isso e uma vez que este blog, apesar de ser dirigido ao público em geral, apresenta uma visão particularmente feminina, para assinalar o Dia da Mulher, deixo ficar alguns retratos de mulheres pelos olhos de vários artistas. Não nos devemos esquecer que todas nós temos qualidades que podem marcar a diferença ao nosso redor.

Therefore and because this blog, although is for all people in general, particularly features a female vision, to highlight the Women’s Day, I leave you with some portraits of women by the eyes of several artists. We should not forget that all of us have qualities that can make the difference around us.

Portrait de femme dit la Belle Ferronnière (1499)
by Leonardo da Vinci at Musée du Louvre in Paris (photo by Littlelle)

The Virgin adoring the Host (1852) by Jean Ingres at MET in New York (photo by Littlelle)

Woman ironing (1869) by Edgar Degas at Neue Pinakothek in Munich (photo by Littlelle)

The Cradle (1872) by Berthe Morisot at Musée d'Orsay in Paris (photo by Littlelle)

Head of girl (1876) by Renoir at Neue Pinakothek in Munich (photo by Littlelle)

Unknown Lady (1883) by Kramskoy at Tretyakov State Gallery in Moscow (photo by Littlelle)

Madame X (1884) by John Singer Sargent at MET in New York (photo by Littlelle)

Model making mischief (1885) by Raimundo Madrazo y Garreta
at Carmen Thyssen Museum in Málaga (photo by Littlelle)

Woman with Parasol (1886) by Monet at Musée d'Orsay in Paris (photo by Littlelle)

Portrait of Baroness Ikskul von Hildenbandt (1889) by Repin
at Tretyakov State Gallery in Moscow (photo by Littlelle)

Jungle tales (1895) by James Jebusa Shannon at MET in New York (photo by Littlelle)

Repose (1895) by John White Alexander at MET in New York (photo by Littlelle)

Femme de profil - Madame Lucy (1896) by Toulouse-Lautrec
at Musée d'Orsay in Paris (photo by Littlelle)

Mademoiselle Plume rouge (1896) by Thomas Austen Brown
at Neue Pinakothek in Munich (photo by Littlelle)

Portrait of a young girl (1899) by Mary Cassatt at MET in New York (photo by Littlelle)

Fleur de Lis (1900) by Robert Reid at MET in New York (photo by Littlelle)

Woman in Blue (1901) by Picasso at Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid (photo by Littlelle)

Margaret Stonborough-Wittgenstein (1905) by Klimt
at Neue Pinakothek in Munich (photo by Littlelle)

Woman in a chemise (1906) by André Derain
at Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen (photo by Littlelle)

Hope II (1908) by Gustav Klimt at MOMA in New York (photo by Littlelle)

Mme Kupka among Verticals (1911) by Kupka at MOMA in New York (photo by Littlelle)

Adele Bloch-Baeur II (1912) by Klimt at MOMA in New York (photo by Littlelle)

Lady in a Park (1914) by August Macke at MOMA in New York (photo by Littlelle)

Head of a Woman (1915) by Amedeo Modigliani
at Museo del Novecento in Milan (photo by Littlelle)

 Bella au col blanc (1917) by Marc Chagall at Centre Pompidou in Paris (photo by Littlelle)

Halbakt II (1926) by Alexander Kanoldt at Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich (photo by Littlelle) 

The Gathering (1929) by Ángeles Santos at Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid (photo by Littlelle)

Woman ironing (1930) by Roberto Balbuena at Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in Barcelona (photo by Littlelle)

Jeune fille en vert (1930) by Tamara de Lempicka at Centre Pompidou in Paris (photo by Littlelle)

The Eternally Obvious (1930) by René Magritte at Fondazione Prada in Milan (photo by Littlelle)

Portrait of Gala (1935) by Salvador Dali at MOMA in New York (photo by Littlelle)

The Frame (1938) by Frida Kahlo at Centre Pompidou in Málaga (photo by Littlelle)

Seated woman (1941) by Picasso at Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich (photo by Littlelle)

Los Angeles Angels (1961) by William Copley at Fondazione Prada in Milan (photo by Littlelle)

Gold Marilyn Monroe (1962) by Andy Warhol
 at MOMA in New York (photo by Littlelle)

Made in Japan - La grande odalisque (1964) by Martial Raysse
at Centre Pompidou in Paris (photo by Littlelle)

Carmen en Málaga (2011) by Mercedes Lasarte
at Carmen Thyssen Museum in Málaga (photo by Littlelle)

Um destes retratos poderá vir a ser o teu… 

One day one of these portraits may be yours…