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When we look at a painting, the first thing we do is enjoy the image. A moonlit lake stretching in the mystery of a bewitching night, melancholy in the face of a beautiful woman, an autumn rainy park – certainly attract attention and evoke a feeling of aesthetic pleasure in us.
But few people think about the details, or rather, the essential facts about the conditions under which the picture was painted, what exactly the author wanted to convey to the audience, etc.
In this collection, we decided to briefly tell you about the fate of women from paintings that you probably know about or at least heard about.
10 Vera Mamontova
Picture: “Girl with Peaches”, 1887
Those who are interested in painting (and even people who are far from art) know the picture “Peach Girl” artist Valentina Serova. It depicts the daughter of the famous industrialist and friend of the artist – 11-year-old Verochka, spontaneous and cheerful.
Having matured, she became a wife – her husband, Alexander Samarin, was both the provincial leader of the nobility of Moscow, and a candidate for Patriarch …
Three children were born from this marriage. But grief happened – after 5 years of marriage, Vera died at the age of 32 from pneumonia.
9. Zhanna Samary
Picture: “Portrait of Jeanne Samary”, 1877
The French actress of comedic roles lived a short life, she died a young woman – at 33, but managed to gain fame.
Creating the image of your favorite model, Auguste Renoir he put his whole soul into his work, thereby immortalizing the name of Jeanne. Renoir created 4 portraits of the muse, he wrote them from 1877 to 1878.
From the age of 18, the actress played in the theater and, I must say, she loved what she did. As often happens, at 25 she became a wife, the couple had children.
Unfortunately, the life of the charming lady from the canvas was short – she died from an intestinal infection, which is called typhoid fever.
8. Cecilia Gallerani
Picture: “Lady with an Ermine”, 1489-1490.
Think that “The Lady with the Ermine” – best job Leonardo da Vinci. The girl in the portrait is Cecilia, she was engaged at the age of 10 (then early marriages were common).
However, after 4 years, the engagement came to an end, and Cecilia ended up in a monastery, where fate brought her together with Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan. A relationship began between them, and after the girl became pregnant, Ludovico invited her to live in his castle.
Subsequently, the Duke took another woman as his wife, and when Cecilia gave birth to a son, he took him to himself and married the girl to a poor count. Four children were born from this marriage, Gallerani kept a literary salon, but after a while her husband died, leaving her nothing.
The girl was sheltered by the sister of the duke, with whom she lived in the castle. Cecilia lived until the age of 63 on her estate.
7. Maria Lopukhina
Picture: “Portrait of M.I. Lopukhina”, 1797
Many works of eminent artists are shrouded in mystery and even mysticism. Painting Borovikovsky belongs to this number. The canvas depicts 18-year-old Maria Lopukhina, a young and pretty countess of the Tolstoy family.
The artist skillfully painted portraits of representatives of aristocratic society. The portrait was ordered from the artist by Maria’s husband, Stepan Lopukhin, immediately after they got married.
Unfortunately, the fate of the girl who is seen on the canvas turned out to be tragic – at the age of 24, Maria died of pulmonary tuberculosis (oral name – consumption.)
6. Alexandra Struyskaya
Picture: “Portrait of Struyskaya”, 1772
Having once seen a portrait of the young Sashenka Struyskaya, it is already impossible to forget this romantic girl – she is dressed in a light dress, she has huge eyes with a bewitching look, a long braid …
Alexandra was married to a wealthy widower, Nikolai Struysky, when she was 18 years old. There is a legend that he gave the girl a new church for her wedding, and dedicated poems to her.
It is not known whether Alexandra and Nikolai were a happy family or faced difficulties, but the guests who visited them noticed how the spouses did not fit together.
Their marriage lasted 24 years, during which time Alexandra was able to give birth to 18 children – unfortunately, 10 of them died in infancy. Alexandra lived to a ripe old age, taking over the management of the estate.
The portrait was painted by the artist Fedor Rokotov.
5. Lisa del Giocondo
Picture: Mona Lisa, 1503-1519
Mrs. Lisa del Giocondo is the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, farm owner and silk merchant. Mistress on the canvas of the great Leonardo da Vinci surrounded by great fame, which made the picture one of the most famous and mysterious …
According to art historians, the portrait was commissioned by Lisa’s husband in honor of the birth of their son and the purchase of a house.
Most likely, the couple were happily married, Lisa gave birth to five children. Unfortunately, Francesco del Giocondo succumbed to the plague, which later struck Lisa, but one of her daughters married her mother. Thanks to the care of her daughter, Lisa lived to the age of 63.
4. Simonetta Vespucci
Picture: “The Birth of Venus”, 1482-1486
Simonetta was born into a wealthy family of a major merchant, and at the age of 16 she married Marco Vespucci. The couple settled in Florence, and was received at the palace of the Italian ruler – Lorenzo Medici, who was famous in those years for pompous feasts.
For Botticelli the feminine girl not only posed, but was also a source of inspiration. A modest, kind girl won the hearts of all men.
But, unfortunately, Simonetta did not live long – at the age of 23 she was taken away by a disease – consumption.
Interesting fact: Sandro Botticelli, after the death of his muse, recreated her in his works, remembering her image, and in his old age he wrote a will that he wanted to be buried next to her – in the church of Onissanti. His request came true.
3. Zinaida Yusupova
Picture: “Portrait of Zinaida Yusupova”, 1902
Princess Zinaida Yusupova is the richest and most distinguished heiress of the Russian Empire, as well as a major philanthropist. For centuries, the Yusupov princes increased their wealth and were engaged in empire building.
Zinaida dreamed of marrying only for love, and her wish came true – she married Felix Nikolaevich, and gave birth to two boys. Grief happened in the life of the princess – she lost one of her sons, Nikolai, he died in a duel on the eve of his 26th birthday.
After the start of the February Revolution, the Yusupovs settled in the Crimea, but when Zinaida lost her husband, she moved to live in Paris with her son Felix and his wife, where she died at the age of 78.
The picture was written Valentin Serov – Russian artist.
2. Elizabeth Bathory
Picture: “Portrait of Lucretia Panchatiki”, 1541
Elizabeth Bathory is a Hungarian countess from the famous Bathory family. She is known for the brutal serial killings of young girls. For her, there was almost no unattainable … But the only thing that she could not get was beauty and youth, which faded with time.
After the birth of 4 children and many years of marriage with Count Ferenc Nadasdy, the Countess began to notice that she was getting old, and one day a familiar witch told her that bathing in the blood of young girls would help her keep her youth. Bathory began to lure young girls into the castle where she lived and killed them.
In 1614, she was punished for what she had done – Elizabeth was walled up in one of the rooms, but she received food and water through a hole in the castle wall. After 2,5 years of such a life, the countess died alone. Portrait painted Agnolo Bronzino.
1. Matrena Savvishna
Picture: “Unknown”, 1883
“Unknown” is the title of one of the most outstanding works of the artist Ivan Kramskoy. The author did not want to reveal the secret of who is in the picture, but today art historians have come to the conclusion that the dark-haired girl who posed for Kramskoy is none other than Matrena Savvishna, a peasant woman who became the wife of the nobleman Bestuzhev.
A couple of years later, the man realized that he had made a mistake by marrying a commoner – she did not acquire a secular gloss, and it was a shame to appear with her in political salons.
Matryona’s life ended tragically – after the divorce, she moved back to the village, and fell ill from the severity of grief and soon died.