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March is National Women’s History Month and this year its organizers are celebrating women’s art. Here are three lovely women − Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace − who have inspired centuries of discussion in the art world.
***image1***Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci, is no doubt one of the world’s most famous women. According to a Jan. 14 article published by Reuters, German experts from Heidelberg University believe they know now the identity of the mysterious woman. Her name, Lisa Gherardinia, the wife of a wealthy Florentine merchant. They found scribbled notes in the margin of a book of a Florentine official from 1503 that confirm Mona Lisa’s full name.
But no matter what, this woman, who consumed more than 10 years of da Vinci’s life is still intriguing. Nat King Cole and Britney Spears have each sung about her and she is everywhere in our popular culture − handbags, T-shirts, posters and television sitcoms. And, when you go to visit her at the Louvre in Paris, expect her to have the biggest crowd. She’s a rock star, and always will be.
Venus de Milo stands 6 feet 11 inches tall. At first glance, you’ll think she’s more manly than feminine. But, she is the goddess of love. According to the Louvre’s official Web site, the Venus de Milo was discovered in 1820 on the island of Melos (Milo in modern Greek) in the south-western Cyclades. Essentially two blocks of marble, she is comprised of several parts which were sculpted separately (bust, legs, left arm and foot) then fixed with vertical pegs, a technique that was fairly common in the Greek world.
***image2***Her arms were never found. Still, she remains hugely popular because of her half-nakedness and her sensual, feminine curves.
The Winged Victory of Samothrace, although limb and headless, will still captivate you with her beauty. She has a prominent location in the Louvre and I like the story that she is who the sailors believed saved them from the treacherous sea. According to the Louvre’s official Web site, she was discovered in 1863 on the small island of Samothrace in the northwest Aegean by Charles Champoiseau, French Vice-Consul to Adrianople (Turkey).
The goddess of Victory is shown in the form of a winged woman standing on the prow of a ship, braced against the strong wind blowing through her garments. With her right hand cupped around her mouth, she announced the event she was dedicated to commemorate.
***image3***The colossal work was placed in a rock niche that had been dug into a hill; it overlooked the theater of the Sanctuary of the Great Gods.
So inspiring is this beauty, that she was used in the design of the very first World Cup Trophy in 1946, according to the FIFA World Cup Web site.
This March, take a moment to get to know the great women of art.
Women’s History Month Project
Discover women’s art at the National Women’s History Project official Web site, www.nwhp.org/.
The Louvre museum in Paris houses 35,000 works of art. Take a virtual tour at www.louvre.fr.
If you go: The museum is open from 9 a.m. to
6 p.m. every day except Tuesday. Admission is €9 for permanent collection and €13 for permanent and temporary exhibits.
The USO Kaiserslautern office offers overnight trips to Paris, with a stop at the Louvre. Visit www.uso.kaiserslautern.com.
