10 Amazing Paintings by Women You Might Not Know Yet (And You Can Get as Postcards)

There are some well-known names in the set, but also some lesser-known artists that we felt you really ought to see. There are women painting animals, children, nature, landscapes, still lifes, myths, and abstract forms.  As a taster, to whet your appetite, here are 10 beautiful portrait paintings from the postcard collection, from across the globe. In these 10 images, women have portrayed either themselves or other women, in all their unique and astonishing glory. Enjoy!

1. Mary Cassatt, Young Mother Sewing, 1900

At first glance, this scene shows an ordinary domestic moment, but the work is imbued with affection and beauty. The only American to exhibit with the French Impressionists, Mary Cassatt was an absolute genius at showing us the quiet dignity of a woman’s life. Look at the composition of the canvas, where the two figures form a triangular shape, just like a Renaissance Madonna and Child.

2. Wiktoria Goryńska, Self-Portrait with Telephone, 1930

Moving on to a very different representation of womanhood. This cat-loving Polish artist specialized in black and white wood engraving, and here we see a modern young woman, with a short bob, poised with the technology of the day, the telephone. The image oozes professional self-sufficiency. One of the most outstanding artists of the Warsaw school of woodcut, Wiktoria Goryńska, sadly died aged just 45 in a Nazi concentration camp.

3. Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, Marie Antoinette with a Rose, 1783

From black-and-white modernity, let us sail right back to revolutionary France. Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun was perhaps the most accomplished portrait painter of her time. But her friendship with Marie Antoinette at a time when the people of France were rebelling against their royalty led to her exile. The original version of this painting showed the queen in a cotton muslin chemise. Viewers were shocked by her state of undress, and this fashionable blue-grey silk version, with her hairdo and pearls, was hastily painted. Just 10 years after this painting was made, Marie Antoinette and her husband, Louis XVI, were sent to the guillotine.

4. Laura Wheeler Waring, Girl in a Pink Dress, 1927

Kicking against stereotypes and rigid social rules, Laura Wheeler Waring was the most important Black female painter of the Harlem Renaissance. This young sitter wears a stylish bob and an elegant drop-waisted flapper dress. Waring portrayed women across the social spectrum. With a spray of pink flowers cascading over her shoulder, this Jazz Age beauty is exquisite.

5. Ragnhild Kaarbø, Composition with a Head, c. 1925

No, there is no historically accurate fashion in this next image, which is from exactly the same time period. Norwegian Kaarbø studied in Paris between 1910 and 1920 and found the vibrant avant-garde arts scene invigorating. Her Fauvist and Cubist paintings from this period, now considered bold and innovative, received criticism. Disappointed by the negative reaction of the public and critics, Kaarbø turned to work on landscapes.

6. Gerda Wegener, Lili Elbe, 1928

A pioneering transgender woman, Lili Elbe, can be found in multiple portraits from the Art Deco era. Elbe was herself a landscape painter, but gave up her art after transitioning from male to female. Elbe instead became model and muse to their wife, portrait painter Gerda Wegener. The rather conservative Danish art scene reacted badly to this unconventional relationship, and the King of Denmark annulled their marriage. The couple moved to Paris, where Wegener’s work appeared not just on gallery walls—she was known for magazine fashion illustrations and cosmetic adverts.

7. Artemisia Gentileschi, Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria, 1614

This Baroque painter needs no introduction—one of the most famous female painters in the world is Artemisia Gentileschi. Her story and her art may have been hidden for centuries, but this incredible artist is finally out in the spotlight. Saint Catherine was a Christian martyr, and this portrait, painted early in her career, shows Gentileschi aligning herself with the independent, powerful, and resilient Catherine.

8. Ellen Thesleff, Echo, 1891

Ellen Thesleff claimed that she “painted like a god,” and I, for one, am not going to contradict her. This fascinating woman lived life entirely on her own terms, and she had a huge impact on Finnish art. This was Thesleff’s debut painting, and it rightly met with positive critical acclaim. Look at the soft, warm light in this portrait of a young woman, calling out across the land. It is simple, lyrical, and absolutely stops you in your tracks.

9. Paula Modersohn-Becker, Self-Portrait with Two Flowers in Her Raised Left Hand, 1907

The first woman painter to present herself nude and pregnant in self-portraits, Paula Modersohn-Becker died at just 31 years old after a difficult birth. However, she left us with an impressive and extraordinary legacy. Like many female artists juggling domestic life and artistic life, her paintings show us reality vs idyll, real bodies vs sexualized objects. Modersohn-Becker understood the pain and the pleasure of women’s lives. This is one of her last self-portraits, pregnant, with a direct and steady gaze. The bold, earthy colors and thick paint application mark her out as one of the great German Expressionists.

10. Evelyn De Morgan, The Storm Spirits, 1900

And finally, to our last choice. These elemental figures are rain, thunder, and lightning personified as powerful women. Painted during the trauma of the Second Boer War, perhaps it is a representation of the chaos of war. Or perhaps the mythical women, goddesses, are trying to terrify the earthly warriors into halting their fighting. Evelyn De Morgan was, after all, a pacifist and a feminist—is this her plea for peace? The luminous painting is a feast for the eye, with rich, vibrant colors and dramatic movement.

Wonderful Women

So, these are the 10 artists we gave you a sneak peek at. What did you think? If you have volume 1 of these women artists’ postcards, volume 2 is a must-have! 50 high-quality images, in a keepsake box, delivered to your door. Send them to your besties, or keep them all for yourself. This new set of powerful and beautiful images is a treasure trove for anyone interested in art. You can order them here.