Different works of art are created with different purposes. Artists are inspired by different things: some find inspiration in nature, others in imagination. But the most common inspiration is usually other people - muses. There are quite a few people in history whose style and appearance had a truly inexorable power to not only enchant the artist, but also greatly influenced him. Here are ten of the most iconic muses in the art world, who have influenced some of the greatest artists in our history.
These are the 10 most iconic muses in the art world…
10. Marie-Thérèse Walter – Pablo Picasso's muse.
Pablo Picasso was known for having muses. Some of these were more influential, others less so. Picasso and Marie-Thérèse met in 1927. Picasso was then married to a Russian ballerina, and their son was five years old. Nevertheless, Picasso was unfaithful, and when Marie-Thérèse became pregnant, he left his Russian bride and went to the south of France. During their relationship, Picasso created many works of art, including Le Rêve, one of his most famous paintings. Picasso, in his style, soon left Marie-Thérèse for another woman, and four years later Marie-Thérèse hanged herself.
9. Coco Young – Ryan McGinley's muse.
The story is a cliché: a beautiful girl meets a super famous and talented photographer and soon after the girl becomes a famous supermodel. When McGinley met Coco, he was immediately inspired by her looks. He was captivated by her raw natural beauty and American appearance. He made sure that Coco got as much work as possible in the fashion industry, became a sensation in the fashion world and started working with top fashion agencies and the most elite clients.
8. Brigitte Bardot – Roger Vadim's muse.
Brigitte Bardot is undoubtedly one of the sexiest women of all time. In 1950, when she was only 15 years old, she began a relationship with Roger Vadim, who was 22 years old at the time. Vadim was a journalist and screenwriter, and his obsession with Brigitte was very strong. He described his bride as "sex on two legs", and Brigitte became the star and inspiration for many of his films, including And God Made Woman (1956). Vadim later married Jane Fonda, and Bardot remained his main muse even after the divorce.
7. Dora Maar – Pablo Picasso's muse.
Dora Maar was a French artist known for her photographs, paintings and poetry. Dora and Pablo were lovers. When they met, Picasso was 54 and Dora was only 28. Despite everything, they managed to inspire each other. Their passionate relationship lasted nine years, during which time Picasso painted many sad portraits of Dora. Dora was depressed because of her infertility, and Picasso captured this on canvas. Over time, Picasso chose another lover, but Dora still remains one of Pablo Picasso's most influential muses.
6. Victorine Meurent – Édouard Manet's muse.
Manet spotted Victorine on the street. When he saw her running down the street, it triggered something new in his mind, a completely new way of looking at the world and understanding the world. There was something about her that compelled him to make her the face of a new aesthetic movement that changed the world of art forever. Manet created nine paintings of Victorine, and although her influence has been overlooked by biographers, Victorine remains a tremendous inspiration for Manet.
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5. Girl with a pearl earring - the muse of Johannes Vermeer.
We all know the picture, but we don't all know the story. Vermeer's famous painting depicts a beautiful woman who remains anonymous to this day. At the time this painting was created, the painter only painted the aristocracy, so it was all the more surprising that he painted something that was not in his style. This was Vermeer's attempt to show the magnetism of female expression. The Girl with the Pearl Earring is one of the most iconic and notable muses in history, but her name will most likely never be known.
4. Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe.
Two artists, two special people, found each other. Together they created art that helped shape and influence the movement. Robert, a photographer, and Patti, a singer-songwriter and poet, found themselves in a world where everyone was against them, and when Mapplethorpe discovered his homosexuality, they became inseparable. They became best friends and muse for each other. The book Just Kids was inspired by Robert Mapplethorpe.
3. Lee Miller – Man Ray's muse.
Lee Miller was the perfect muse. She was a fashion model for a few years and then ran into Condé Montrose Nast, the founder of Vogue. This helped her in a short but successful career in the fashion world. She then moved to Paris, where she was tutored by the legendary visual artist Man Ray. They became lovers and documented the whims of their relationship with photographs. The works are mainly focused on Lee and her mysterious aura. Ray was inspired by something very attractive and unfamiliar about her. His works still inspire artists around the world today.
2. Georgia O'Keeffe - the muse of Alfred Stieglitz.
The story of painter Georgia O'Keeffe and photographer Alfred Stieglitz is truly one of the most famous love stories in the history of art. In 31 years, basically between 1915 and 1946, the couple exchanged more than 25 thousand love letters. As with many of the couples on this list, there was a noticeable age difference between them - Alfred was 52 and Georgia was 28. Alfred was already an established artist who also exhibited Georgia's work in his gallery to give her exposure , which she needed. Georgia was without a doubt his most influential muse.
1. Edie Sedgwick – Andy Warhol's muse.
Edie Sedgwick was a beautiful heiress and model known as one of Andy Warhol's main muses. The wild girl was certainly a free spirit - she squandered her inheritance like that in six months. Edie appeared primarily in Warhol's art films and gained audiences for her incredible style. Unfortunately, she was never mentally stable; she was hospitalized several times. When she met Andy, they became inseparable - she was looking for meaning and he was inspired enough to give it to her. Edie died aged just 28, alcohol and drugs to blame. Many people blame Andy for her death. There is also a movie about her, Factory Girl (2006), where Edie's journey is portrayed by Sienna Miller.
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