Women have been painted for centuries: as goddesses, muses, lovers, rebels, icons, and mirrors of society itself. From Renaissance ideals to modern expressions of identity and power, famous paintings of women tell us as much about the cultures that created them as they do about the women portrayed.
In this article, we revisit ten of the most famous paintings of women not as distant museum pieces, but as works that still resonate today. These images continue to shape how we understand femininity, creativity, and self-expression and why painting the female form has always been about far more than beauty alone.
If you’re curious about how painting has evolved beyond museums and into everyday creative life, our article on the history of paint by numbers explores how art slowly became something anyone could practice at home.
Sandro Botticelli — The Birth of Venus (mid-1480s)
When Botticelli painted The Birth of Venus, he wasn’t simply illustrating a myth. He was reintroducing the female body as a central subject outside religious narratives — something radical for its time.
Inspired by ancient Greek ideals and classical poetry, Venus emerges from the sea fully formed, embodying both earthly beauty and intellectual love. Her pose echoes classical sculpture, while her gaze feels surprisingly gentle and human. Even today, Venus feels less like a distant goddess and more like an early attempt to reconcile strength and softness in the feminine form.
To understand how Renaissance artists shaped the foundations of Western painting, explore our guide to famous painters in art history.
Leonardo da Vinci — Mona Lisa (1503–1505)
Few paintings of women have been analysed as intensely as the Mona Lisa. And yet, what makes her unforgettable isn’t theory but it’s the feeling of being quietly observed.
Leonardo’s mastery of sfumato allowed him to create a softness in the face that feels alive, constantly shifting with the light. Her expression resists certainty, inviting interpretation rather than explanation. That ambiguity is precisely why she remains one of the most famous paintings of women ever created.
The Mona Lisa reminds us that great art doesn’t always reveal itself immediately — sometimes it asks us to slow down and sit with uncertainty.
Johannes Vermeer — Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665)
Often called the “Dutch Mona Lisa,” Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring captures a fleeting, intimate moment. The subject turns toward us mid-movement, her expression suspended between curiosity and restraint.
The pearl earring becomes the focal point, catching light in a way that feels almost cinematic. Vermeer’s mastery of light and shadow transforms a simple portrait into something quietly hypnotic.
This kind of attentiveness to light, stillness, and detail is something many people rediscover when returning to painting later in life, even through structured formats like paint by numbers. We explore this idea further in why painting is so good for mental wellbeing.
Édouard Manet — Olympia (1865)
When Olympia was first exhibited, it caused outrage. Not because the woman was nude, but because she refused to look away.
Manet’s Olympia meets the viewer’s gaze directly, unapologetically aware of being seen. By humanising a courtesan and placing her at the centre of the composition, Manet disrupted centuries of passive female representation in art.
Today, Olympia reads as a quiet act of defiance and a reminder that how women are painted, and who controls the narrative, matters deeply.
James McNeill Whistler — Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (1871)
Commonly known as Whistler’s Mother, this painting was originally conceived as a study of form and colour rather than a sentimental portrait.
The restrained palette and pared-down composition create an unexpected emotional depth. Over time, the painting came to symbolise endurance, restraint, and quiet strength — particularly during periods of social hardship.
It’s a powerful example of how meaning in art evolves long after the paint dries.
Gustav Klimt — Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907)
Wrapped in gold, Klimt’s portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer radiates intensity and stillness at once. Created during Klimt’s “golden phase,” the painting blends fine art with decorative beauty, drawing from Byzantine and Egyptian influences.
Adele’s gaze feels both distant and commanding, challenging traditional portrayals of women as purely ornamental. Klimt’s work paved the way for more expressive, emotionally charged representations of the female form.
If you’re drawn to bold colour and expressive composition, you may enjoy our article on artists who changed the way we see colour.
Egon Schiele — Portrait of Edith, the Artist’s Wife (1915)
Schiele’s portrait of his wife Edith is tender, unsettling, and deeply human. Her elongated limbs and pale face reflect Schiele’s emotionally intense style, while her gaze carries vulnerability rather than idealisation.
Unlike classical portraits, this painting doesn’t attempt to flatter. Instead, it reveals intimacy, love, fragility, and presence without performance. Schiele reminds us that painting can be a form of emotional truth rather than perfection.
Pablo Picasso — Portrait of Dora Maar (1937)
Picasso painted Dora Maar repeatedly, each portrait revealing as much about his emotional state as about his subject.
In this Cubist depiction, Dora’s face is fractured into multiple perspectives, reflecting tension, intensity, and instability. The painting challenges conventional beauty, forcing viewers to confront complexity rather than harmony.
It’s a reminder that portraits are often collaborations — shaped by both subject and artist.
Frida Kahlo — Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird (1940)
Frida Kahlo painted herself not out of vanity, but necessity. Her self-portraits are acts of survival, self-definition, and resistance.
In this painting, pain and calm coexist. The thorn necklace cuts into her skin, yet her expression remains steady. Kahlo’s work rejects idealisation, offering instead a raw, feminist portrayal of the female body and mind. Her approach resonates strongly with modern creative practices that prioritise expression over polish.
Andy Warhol — Shot Blue Marilyn (1964)
Warhol’s portraits of Marilyn Monroe were created after her death, stripping celebrity glamour of its illusion.
In Shot Blue Marilyn, the bright colours contrast sharply with the underlying darkness of fame, obsession, and loss. Warhol turns Marilyn into a symbol rather than a person, forcing viewers to confront how culture consumes women.
It’s a fitting conclusion to a long history of female representation and one that asks difficult questions about visibility, power, and identity.
Why These Paintings Still Matter Today
These famous paintings of women endure not because they belong in museums, but because they reflect emotions, identities, and struggles that remain deeply familiar. They remind us that painting has always been a way to process the world, not just decorate it.
At Kiki’s Club, we believe that connection to art doesn’t stop at observation. Whether you’re studying masterpieces or painting quietly at home, engaging with art slowly and intentionally still carries the same power.
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