Buzz
To begin, I must admit that my knowledge of art is limited. I’m no expert and can’t fully grasp what makes a good painting exceptional, or what sets a masterpiece apart from the rest. But one thing I do know is what makes a painting famous—the kind that even someone like me can recognize. This list doesn’t dive into color choices, symbolism, or why the artist selected a certain material, such as beaverboard over canvas. Instead, it explores the often overlooked lives of the individuals who posed for these renowned artworks. If anyone notices any inaccuracies in my findings or has additional fascinating facts about the subjects or models, please feel free to share.
10. American Gothic
Artist: Grant Wood 1891 – 1942 Year Created: 1930
Grant Wood created *American Gothic* as the United States was on the brink of the Great Depression. Seeking models that embodied the hardworking spirit of Middle America, Wood chose his family dentist, Dr. B.H. McKeeby (1867–1950), to represent the older man, and his sister, Nan Wood (1899–1990), to model as the younger woman. The two, though hesitant, posed for the painting after Wood reassured them that their identities would remain anonymous. Notably, they never stood in front of the house together; instead, they were painted separately. *American Gothic* went on to become one of the most iconic and parodied images in the world. Nan later married a real estate investor and became a historian dedicated to preserving her brother’s legacy. Dr. McKeeby continued his dental practice in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, until near his passing. You can view a photograph of Dr. McKeeby and Nan Wood alongside the famous painting here.
Fun Fact: There’s a bit of a debate surrounding the painting’s subject matter—whether it was meant to depict a married couple. Many art experts initially believed Wood portrayed them as husband and wife. However, Nan Wood, feeling uncomfortable being depicted as the wife of a man much older than her, began telling people that the painting actually showed a father and his grown daughter. A 1941 letter by Grant Wood appears to confirm this interpretation, with the artist referring to the woman as the man’s “grown-up daughter.” You can read the letter in its entirety here.
9. Pinkie
Artist: Thomas Lawrence 1769 –1830 Year Created: 1794
*Pinkie* is a portrait of Sarah Barrett Moulton, who was about eleven years old at the time it was painted. Sarah was the daughter of a wealthy Jamaican plantation owner, Charles Barrett Moulton. Born and raised in Jamaica, she traveled to England to continue her education. While there, her grandmother commissioned the famous portrait by Thomas Lawrence. Tragically, Sarah passed away on April 23, 1795, just one year after the portrait’s completion, likely from whooping cough contracted from one of her brothers. Her brother Edward, who would later inherit the portrait, changed his surname to Moulton-Barrett and became the father of one of Victorian England’s most renowned poets, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, making Sarah her aunt.
Fun Fact: Reproductions of *Pinkie* and *The Blue Boy* are often displayed together, suggesting they may be connected or created by the same artist. In reality, they were painted by different artists, separated by about a quarter century. Both masterpieces are now housed at The Huntington in San Marino, California, where they are exhibited across from one another in the same room.
8. Whistler’s Mother
Artist: James McNeill Whistler 1834 –1903 Year Created: 1871
Many regard *Whistler’s Mother* as an iconic American image. However, few know that both the painting and her passing took place outside the United States. Anna McNeill Whistler was born in 1884 in North Carolina. In 1831, she married George Washington Whistler, a widower, and became a stepmother to his three children. She later gave birth to two sons, James and William, though she also had two sons who tragically died young. In 1842, the family moved to Russia, where George was employed as a railway engineer. After her husband's death from cholera in 1849, Anna returned to the U.S., settling in Connecticut. During the Civil War, Anna crossed enemy lines to join William, who was serving as a surgeon for the Confederate Army. Later, she traveled to London, where James, having been expelled from West Point, had relocated. Encouraging his artistic journey, Anna agreed to sit for him, leading to the creation of the now-iconic *Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1: Portrait of the Artist’s Mother*, better known as *Whistler’s Mother*. Anna passed away in 1881 in Hastings, England, and was buried at Borough Cemetery. Her gravestone reads: 'Blessed are they who have/not seen/And yet have believed.'
Fun Fact: Anna’s husband, George (known as 'Whistler’s Father'), was a distinguished railroad engineer. He built stone arch railroad bridges in 1841, some of which are still used for freight and passenger service in western Massachusetts. He also created a communication system, *Whistler’s Trumpet*, allowing the locomotive engineer to communicate with the train crew. While in Russia, George played a key role in the development of Russia's first major railroad, the Moscow-Saint Petersburg Railway. Additionally, he selected the five-foot rail gauge that is still in use in Russia and surrounding countries. For his accomplishments, George was honored with the Order of St. Anna by Tsar Nicholas.
7. Christina’s World
Artist: Andrew Wyeth (1917–2009) Year Painted: 1948
Andrew Wyeth was inspired to paint *Christina’s World* while staying at his summer home in Cushing, Maine. One day, he looked out his window and saw a woman crawling across a field. This woman was Christina Olson (1893-1969), who suffered from a degenerative muscular disorder, often associated with polio, that made it impossible for her to walk. Wyeth met Christina and her brother, Alvaro, in 1939, when they were introduced by a woman named Betsy. Betsy would later become Wyeth’s wife and also a summer resident of Cushing. Two models posed for the figure of the woman in the painting: Christina Olson, in her mid-50s at the time, modeled for the thin arms, legs, and pink dress. The head and torso of the figure, however, belonged to Wyeth’s wife Betsy, who was in her mid-20s. Christina lived in the same house her entire life and was unaware that she and her house had become famous. In 2000, Andrew and Betsy Wyeth celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
Fun Fact: Wyeth developed a strong friendship with the Olson family, and was even given permission to use an upstairs room of their house as his studio. The Olson House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. You can view a photo of the Olson House as it stands today here.
6. Le déjeuner sur l’herbe
Artist: Édouard Manet (1832-1883) Year Painted: 1862/63
Manet caused quite a stir when he unveiled this painting to the French public in 1863. The nude woman depicted in the piece was modeled by two different people. Manet used his favorite model, Victorine Meurent (1844-1927), for the woman's face, and his future wife, Suzanne Leenhoff (1830-1906), for her body. Manet and Suzanne had a decade-long relationship before finally marrying in 1863. They first met when Suzanne, a musician, was hired by Manet’s father to give Edouard and his brother Eugene piano lessons. During their time together, Suzanne gave birth to a son, Leon Koella, whose paternity has been debated, with both Manet and his father being suggested as the boy's real father. Suzanne introduced Leon to others as her younger brother. Meurent, the face model, was also an accomplished artist and exhibited regularly at the prestigious Paris Salon. The two men in the painting are Manet’s brother, Eugene, and his future brother-in-law, Ferdinand Leenhoff.
Interesting Fact: A painting by Victorine Meurent, titled Le Jour des Rameaux or Palm Sunday, was recovered in 2004. This is the only surviving example of her work. You can view the painting here.
5. The Weeping Woman
Artist: Pablo Picasso 1881–1973 Year Painted: 1937
If you are acquainted with Picasso's art, you might recognize that the subject in this particular painting is Dora Maar (1909-1997). Dora was a French artist, poet, and photographer, who was also Picasso’s lover between 1936 and 1944. They met when she was 29 and Picasso was 54. Picasso described her as 'the weeping woman,' stating, 'For years I’ve painted her in tortured forms, not through sadism, and not with pleasure, either; just obeying a vision that forced itself on me. It was the deep reality, not the superficial one.' Picasso also remarked, 'Dora, for me, was always a weeping woman… And it’s important, because women are suffering machines.' Although an independent artist, Dora faced emotional distress from the relationship, particularly after discovering her inability to have children. In her later years, Dora lived in solitude in a house near Paris, a gift from Picasso.
A fascinating tidbit: In 2006, another of Picasso’s portraits of Dora, titled 'Dora Maar with Cat,' was sold at auction for a staggering $95,216,000, making it the second most expensive painting ever auctioned. You can explore a wide collection of Picasso’s portraits and sketches of Dora Maar here.
4. Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I
Artist: Gustav Klimt (1862 –1918) Year Painted: 1907
Adele Bloch-Bauer was born in 1881 in Vienna, Austria, into a wealthy Jewish banking family. At 17, in 1899, she married Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, a sugar magnate and banker. Ferdinand was a prominent patron of Gustav Klimt and commissioned him to create a portrait of Adele. After years of preparation and countless sketches, the portrait was completed in 1907. Three years later, Klimt painted Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II in 1912. Adele was the only woman Klimt painted twice. The Bloch-Bauers were part of Klimt’s close circle, which included Sigmund Freud and composer Arnold Schoenberg. There is scholarly debate regarding whether Klimt and Adele had a romantic affair. The Bloch-Bauers purchased six of Klimt’s works, including both portraits of Adele and four of Klimt’s mood landscapes. Adele passed away unexpectedly from meningitis in Vienna on January 24, 1925. In her will, she requested that her husband donate Klimt’s paintings to the Austrian Gallery after his death. However, when the Nazis invaded Austria in 1938, Adele’s widowed husband had to flee due to his Jewish heritage and had to abandon his possessions, including the Klimt paintings, which were confiscated.
An intriguing fact: In 1945, Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer’s will designated his nephew and nieces as the heirs to his estate. After years of legal battles between the United States and Austria, it was officially determined in 2006 that Maria Altmann, Bloch-Bauer’s niece living in California, was the rightful owner of the paintings. Later that same year, the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I was sold for an astonishing $135 million, making it one of the most expensive works of art ever sold.
3. Mona Lisa
Artist: Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519) Year Painted: c-1503-1506
It may seem like an obvious pick for number one, but how could she not be? While the true identity of Mona Lisa was speculated upon since around 1550, it wasn’t until recent years that it was completely confirmed. Her actual name was Lisa del Giocondo, a member of the Gherardini family. Born in Florence on June 15th, 1479, Lisa was the eldest of seven children. At just 15, she married Francesco del Giocondo, a merchant specializing in cloth and silk. Following some business success in 1503, Francesco was able to purchase a house adjacent to his family's former residence on Via della Stufa. It is believed that this is when Lisa’s portrait was commissioned, possibly to mark their new home or perhaps to celebrate her second pregnancy. Da Vinci’s notes during the painting process mention Lisa’s joyful disposition and her infectious laughter. Together, Lisa and Francesco had five children: Piero, Camilla, Andrea, Giocondo, and Marietta. Lisa also cared for Bartolomeo, Francesco's son from his first wife, who died shortly after his birth. Camilla and Marietta both became Catholic nuns; Camilla took the name Suor Beatrice and passed away at 18, while Marietta, known as Suor Ludovica, became an esteemed nun. While the specifics of Lisa and Francesco’s life together vary, there’s no question about Francesco’s deep love for Lisa. Francesco passed away at 80, around 1538, during a plague in Florence. Some accounts suggest Lisa died four years later, but others believe she lived into her seventies, passing away in 1551.
An interesting tidbit: In 1506, Leonardo himself considered the portrait unfinished. He was never paid for the work and never handed it over to his client. Instead, the painting traveled with him throughout his life, and it’s believed that he likely completed it many years later in France.
2. Portrait of Dr. Gachet
Artist: Vincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890) Year Painted: 1890
Dr. Paul Gachet (1828-1909) was a notable figure in the art world, both as a doctor and an amateur artist. He was a staunch supporter of the Impressionist movement and formed close friendships with renowned artists like Pissarro, Renoir, Manet, and Cezanne. In fact, Dr. Gachet accumulated one of the largest collections of Impressionist art in Europe. In 1868, he married Blanche Castets, and together they had two children, Marguerite and Paul. In May of 1890, after Vincent van Gogh was released from a mental asylum, he still needed medical attention. Theo van Gogh, Vincent's brother, believed Dr. Gachet was the right choice due to his passion for art. During their time together, van Gogh remarked about Dr. Gachet, saying, 'sicker than I am, I think, or shall I say as much.' While the exact meaning behind this remark is unclear, some believe van Gogh recognized the doctor may not have been fully capable of treating him. Tragically, on July 27, 1890, van Gogh shot himself in a field. Dr. Gachet was called, but the wound was fatal, and van Gogh died two days later. It's worth noting that van Gogh's family never blamed Dr. Gachet for his death.
An interesting tidbit: Dr. Gachet also expressed his artistic talent under the name Paul van Ryssel. One of his most famous pieces is a sketch of Van Gogh on his deathbed, which can be viewed here. After Dr. Gachet's death, his son, Paul Louis, became an art dealer and inherited many of his father's artworks. Like his father, Paul Louis was an amateur artist and painted under the name Louis van Ryssel. He continued the family tradition by sketching Van Gogh on his deathbed, and his work can be seen here.
1. Luncheon of the Boating Party
Artist: Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1841-1919 Year Painted: 1881/82
Renoir often incorporated his friends into his artwork, and this painting is no exception. Among those featured is his future wife, Aline Charigot, who can be seen cooing with a dog. Another notable figure in the painting is the renowned French artist Gustave Caillebotte, seated in the lower right corner. Renoir and Aline married in 1890, five years after the birth of their first son, Pierre. Aline became Renoir's true love and was immortalized in many of his other works. Together, they had two more children, Jean and Claude. Despite being 23 years younger than Renoir, Aline passed away in 1915, four years before her husband. You can see a photograph of the couple in their later years here.
Interesting Fact: Two of Renoir and Aline’s sons, Pierre and Jean, became famous figures in the entertainment world as actors and film directors. Jean was nominated for an Academy Award for directing the film *The Southerner*, and in 1975, he received an honorary Academy Award for his lifetime achievements in the film industry.
