Top 17 Most Famous Paintings of Women

What do some of the most famous heroic deeds and some of the best pieces of literature have in common? They were both mostly inspired by women. Well, nowhere is this connection between inspiration and female beauty as transparent as in art. To further illustrate this point, here are the top 17 most famous paintings of women, most of which you must have seen already.

1. Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

When you think of a portrait of a woman painted by a famous artist, you’re thinking of Mona Lisa. In fact, one might argue that this is the most famous painting (or even the most famous art piece) in the history of humanity. It’s in every art textbook, and a replica is in many homes around the world. A lot of people are even ordering it as a custom paint-by-number kit so that they can recreate it on their own.

2. The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli

It’s a painting of a goddess emerging from the sea on a shell. This is something you’ve seen recreated and parodied all the way from mainstream cinema to Spongebob. The importance of this image lies in the fact that it’s a perfect example of how a renaissance painter tries to recreate antiquity in his works. It’s also one of the Renaissance’s most beautiful paintings.

3. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer

When it comes to female portraits, one of the first things that will pop to mind is “the Mona Lisa of the North.” We’re, of course, talking about the Girl with a Pearl Earring, another painting you’ll see every time there’s talk about art. The painting brilliantly captures grace and elegance, but it’s also one of the best displays of how much of a difference comes from the right use of light effects.

4. Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt

This painting marks the start of the so-called “Golden Phase” in the career of Gustav Klimt. It’s his attempt to portray female beauty as inseparable from the luxury of art nouveau style, and it does a phenomenal job. It’s one of the most beautiful paintings of the era, even if it doesn’t get the same pop culture representation as some other entries on this list.

5. Whistler's Mother (Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1) by James McNeill Whistler

We’ve already discussed “Mona Lisa of the North,” but now, let’s get to one of the most underrated examples of female portraits in history - the American Mona Lisa. If someone told you that maternal respect can be intertwined into the structure of the painting, this piece would be their strongest argument.

6. Woman with a Parasol by Claude Monet

The painting of Monet’s wife and son on a sunny day is arguably the best example of Monet’s impressionist technique. With it, he captured a windy day not as it was in reality but the way it remained etched in his mind. As with all his paintings, the image does more than tells a story, it transfers an emotion.

7. The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse

The Lady of Shalott is something right out of Tennyson’s Poem, or, better yet, a still taken right out of the Arthurian legend. William Waterhouse did his best to capture some of the pre-raphaelite fascination with medieval and literary themes and did an outstanding job in this endeavor.

8. Madame X by John Singer Sargent

Not all famous paintings of women were lauded at their time. For instance, the portrait of Madame X (Virginie Amelie Avegno Gauitreau) was quite controversial at the time. The portrayal was seen as “too sensual.” In 2024, however, it’s hard to imagine writing a more compelling recommendation for a piece.

9. Olympia by Édouard Manet

This image is perfect in its simplicity, a reclining nude woman gazing directly into the eyes (some would even say the soul) of a viewer. At the time, the image was a major revolt against the conventions of how women were portrayed and represented in art. As such, it’s a piece of special significance.

10. The Dance Class by Edgar Degas

This image will deviate from the list in a few ways. First of all, it portrays more than one female figure. Second of all, it portrays children, which is unique in its own right. At the time, the composition of the image was seen as innovative, while the portrayal of children was seen as incredibly candid.

11. Dora Maar au Chat by Pablo Picasso

Everything Picaso does is special by virtue of being done by Picasso; however, this portrayal is truly a unique female portrait. Even without this, it would earn a spot on this list just because of its uniqueness. Still, there’s a reason Picasso is near the very top of the list of the most famous painters in history.

12. La Maja Desnuda by Francisco Goya

Once again, we have a painting of a reclining nude woman with a direct gaze but this is one of the first such depictions without mythological or allegorical content. The gaze itself is more than suggestive, which is why this painting is seen as one of the most provocative pieces in the history of high-art.

13. American Gothic by Grant Wood

The American Gothic is one of those paintings that you’ve seen a million times without paying much attention to it. One unique feature (for this list) is the fact that the female art dominates just one-half of the painting, giving a strong contrast to her male counterpart.

14. The Swing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard

Just like the previous painting, this one contains male characters but the contrast is so sharp tahat all the attention goes to her by default. She is portrayed in the most vibrant colors, while they are there almost as silhouettes. Despite this, it’s one of those paintings of people having fun that captivates you for hours.

15. Portrait of Jeanne Hébuterne by Amedeo Modigliani

This female portrait captures the elongated face of Modigliani’s long-time lover. This is one of those scenes where the artist manages to insert so much emotional intensity into this piece of visual art.

16. Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci

It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about the most famous painter in the world, the most recognizable name in the history of art, or the man who produced the most expensive painting ever sold; we’re still talking about the same man. Therefore, it’s not surprising that da Vinci has two entries on this list of beautiful female art. Lady with an Ermine is one of his great works, but it is often overshadowed by some of his other, more famous pieces.

17. Woman with a Hat by Henri Matisse

Lastly, we have one Fauvist portrait of a wive of Henri Matisse. What you need to understand about this painting is that it’s a sharp break from traditional representation. It has everything from bold colors and brushstrokes to the way her silhouette blends with the background.

This list is just the top of the iceberg

While there are more unique paintings of women in the long and rich history of art, our topic was famous paintings of women, with an emphasis on the famous. In other words, it’s a popularity contest and has nothing to do with your personal preference.

If you have something else that you would have liked more, you can look it up or even order from one of Number Artist’s many collections.