The Artist and the Muse

The Role of the Female Muse in Art History.

20th century Realist painter, Andrew Wyeth claimed that "The difference between me and a lot of painters is that I have to have a personal contact with my models.... I have to become enamored. Smitten"(Gardner 2006). Few artists have come close to Wyeth's mere obsessive commitment to the portrayal of his muse, Helga Testorf. However, many artists in history have avoided banality and made their fame by adopting one or many female muses and riding the steady flow of inspiration that springs from them. These women are sometimes noticed out of a crowd, their being speaking some kind of life into the artist's vision. More often than not, these muses become relationally tied to the artist either by virtue of their inspirational presence or by nature of the initial attraction between them. Famous artists like Matisse, Wyeth, Manet, Whistler, Botticelli,  and Picasso were all breathed into by some hypnotizing female presence at one point in their career. Their muses mere existence brought life to the paint on the canvas and provides the perfect tension in the space between them and the artist to create compelling and content-rich pieces for the artist to display. 

Henri Matisse, Laurette in Green and Black. 1916. Oil on Canvas; 28 3/4 x 21

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Laurette in Green and Black by Henri Matisse features Laurette (last name unknown), Henri's muse for an extended period during his career. Laurette has also been titled "The Italian Woman", but not much else is known about her. Henri Matisse did many paintings of Laurette as it was characteristic of him to become asphyxiated with his models. She was said to be extraordinarily ordinary, that not much was special about her. For some reason, her presence was profitable to Matisse. His paintings of her are among his most famous for their exotic yet comfortable appeal. Laurette's restful pose, vulnerable face, and loosely hanging robe speak of the intimacy between her and the artist. She appears like she is floating on a pink cloud in an atmosphere like a vision. This vision-like depiction of Laurette fills in the mysterious space between her and the artist with nearly tangible emotions of romance and intimacy. 

James Abbott McNeil Whistler, Symphony in White, No. 1. 1861-62. Oil on Canvas: 215 cm x 108 cm 

The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

Featured in James Abbott McNeil Whistler's Symphony in White is Joanna Hiffernan. Joanna and Whistler shared a six year relationship during which Whistler fell in love with Joanna's spirit. According to Elizabeth Robbins who wrote The Whistler Journals, "She was not only beautiful. She was intelligent, she was sympathetic. She gave Whistler the constant companionship he could not do without (Robbins 1921). Joanna is the subject of many of Whistler's most famous paintings, including Symphony in White No. 1. Her elegance and grace are never absent in his depictions of her. In fact, Joanna's beauty seems to be perfectly suited for Whistler's ideas of beauty in most other things. Her soft, kind face and angelic persona aligns with the aura of many of Whistler's landscapes and still life paintings. Given the romance between the two, it is fair to assume that Joanna's persona became the inspiration for Whistler's painting style. 

Andrew Wyeth, Braids. 1977. Tempura. 

National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. in 1987-89. Currently not on display. 

Helga Testorf was a German immigrant, neighbor and mistress to Andrew Wyeth, American Realist painter. He and Helga are famous for one of the best kept, yet throughly documented affairs in history. Andrew Wyeth painted about 240 depictions of Helga in a series that is now known as The Helga Pictures. Helga is nude in most, and provocatively posed in others. The series was hidden from the public, including both of their spouses and families. The picture featured above entitled Braids captures a less ravishing Helga. Her gaze is soft and restful, her hair humbly braided, and her clothing completely covers her. This painting alludes to how developed the pair's romance was. It was not only characterized by carnal passion, but by a fulfilling companionship. Helga's willingness to be portrayed in such a pure light demonstrates the depth of their relationship. It appears, from this painting, that the two really allowed themselves to be seen by one another. The 240 pictures of Helga are Wyeth's crowning achievement in art. It seems that the existence of Helga brought his talent to life. 

 Pablo Picasso, Le Reve (The Dream). 1932. Oil on canvas; 130 cm x 90 cm. Private Collection of Steven A. Cohen.

Marie-Thérèse Walter sits as the subject of Picasso's Le Reve. Marie-Thérèse and Picasso began their affair when Marie was only 17 and Picasso was 45, married, and father of a son. Marie is painted as a vision of youth and sexuality in Le Reve. Picasso undoubtedly indulged in the opportunity to be companioned with a much younger, more beautiful woman. Many of his paintings and etchings of her feature flowers, a symbol of youthful and carefree beauty. Her blonde hair is usually complemented by bright colors. Together Picasso and Marie had a child, but soon after the birth, Picasso fell in love with another woman and began using her as a source of inspiration instead. A devastated Marie hung herself soon after. However short lived, Marie's presence in his life marks a significant shift in his style.

 Sandro Botticelli, Portrait of a Young Woman. 1476. Tempura on wood; 47.5 x 35 cm. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, Germany 

Sandro Botticelli portrays Simonetta Vespuci in Portrait of a Young Woman. Botticelli was a Renaissance painter and one of his primary concerns was symmetry and harmony in his paintings. He achieved this by portraying the "ideal" woman. This ideal is fulfilled by perfect proportions in body and face. The "ideal" woman that appears again and again in his paintings, Simonetta Vespuci, embodied the type of harmonious beauty that characterized the Renaissance art scene. Botticelli used Simonetta for The Birth of Venus and many of his other world-renowned pieces.

 Edouard Manet, Victorine Meurant. Around 1862. Oil on canvas; 42.9 x 43.8 cm

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Victorine Meurant became the face of scandal in Edouard Manet’s 1863 painting Olympia. However, she has also been portrayed in a number of Manet’s other works. She appears nude in only two of them. Despite popular opinion at the time, Victorine was not a prostitute. In fact, she herself was an artist. Likely, she and Manet inspired each other, and Victorine probably stuck around to model for Manet out of appreciation for his work. As soon as she began to blossom in her own style, Manet and her parted ways. Given the professional dynamic of the relationship, her role as muse was equally beneficial to her career and Manet’s. The gaze she holds in the painting is similar to that of others muses gaze. She looks knowingly at Manet, very comfortable in herself, almost as if she is confidant in her value as source of inspiration.

-Shannon Hunt