Michaelina Wautier, also known as Woutiers, was a talented artist from the Southern Netherlands. However, it wasn't until the 21st century that her work gained recognition as that of an exceptional female Baroque artist. Prior to this acknowledgment, her paintings were often attributed to male artists, particularly her brother Charles.
What set Wautier apart was her ability to explore a wide range of subjects and genres, which was unusual for female artists of her time. During the Baroque era, female artists were often limited to creating smaller works, typically portraits or still-life paintings.
Michaelina Wautier was born in 1604 in Mons, Belgium, and she was the only daughter among nine siblings. It is believed that she came from a well-to-do family, as her work demonstrates a profound understanding of classical mythology and symbolism.
Interestingly, Wautier did not begin her artistic career until later in life, around the age of 39. However, her talent quickly garnered attention. Perhaps due to her brother Charles' connections in the military, she received a commission to paint a portrait of the aristocratic general Andrea Cantelmo. While the original painting has since disappeared, an engraving of it by Paulus Pontius serves as evidence of its existence.
Both Michaelina and Charles moved to Brussels in 1645 and shared a studio there. They both remained unmarried and were likely involved in various business ventures, including real estate. Although the specifics of their art training are unknown, it is evident that they were well-prepared artists.
Unfortunately, there is limited biographical information available about Wautier, and much of what is known is based on scholarly conjecture and analysis of her existing works.
Wautier's art encompassed a wide range of subjects, including history, religion, and mythology. In an era when large-format paintings were typically created by male artists, Wautier gained recognition for her genre scenes, historical pieces, and intricate flower garlands.
Her portfolio also featured a series of portraits, with her first self-portrait dating back to 1649. Interestingly, this self-portrait was initially attributed to the Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi. It remains one of Wautier's most renowned paintings and was included in the 1905 book "Women Painters of the World."
Wautier was not hesitant to explore masculine anatomy in her work, depicting it with precision. She was among the first female artists to paint a nude male figure. Her painting titled "The Triumph of Bacchus" (1650) is often cited as one of her most representative works. In this painting, she placed herself within the vibrant crowd, and she is the only character who makes direct eye contact with the viewer. The large scale of this painting was particularly noteworthy for a female artist of her time.
In contrast to many female artists of her era, Wautier received recognition during her lifetime. She sold four paintings to Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria for his art collection, as noted in the collection's 1659 inventory. However, her work gradually faded into obscurity after her death in 1689.
Several factors contributed to the disappearance of her work, including misattribution, confusion with other female artists, and a significant gap between her last known painting in 1659 and her death at the age of 85. Unlike some of her contemporaries, her self-portrait was never reproduced as a print to preserve her memory.
Wautier's legacy began to resurface in the 19th century, and her reputation gained momentum in the 1960s. More recently, in 2018, she had her first retrospective exhibition, marking a resurgence of interest in her remarkable body of work.
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