We Found Out How Old the Characters in 12 Iconic Paintings Really Are

When we admire great works of art, we rarely think about who the people depicted on the paintings are. Behind some famous paintings are real lives — romantic, dramatic or even exciting. We decided to look behind the scenes of great works of art to find out the stories and ages of the painting models.

Mona Lisa in Da Vinci’s painting of the same name

One of the most famous paintings of all time, according to art historians, depicts Lisa del Giocondo. Born into a noble Florentine family, she married a wealthy merchant at the age of 15 and had 5 children with him.

Lisa led a completely ordinary life, devoting all her energy to home and family, and wasn’t noticed in any particular scandals. Leonardo began work on his painting around 1503, when Lisa was 24 years old.

The woman in Madame X

The artist John Singer Sargent decided to paint a portrait of the socialite Virginie Gautreau, famous for her scandalous love affairs. The young painter wanted to achieve recognition and success this way. The painting did cause a stir, but not quite the one Sargent wanted. Parisian society was furious, and the artist had to leave for England, and Virginie had to withdraw from high society for a while.

Virginie was born in the family of a Creole planter, and after the death of her father, moved to Paris together with her mother. There the girl quickly made her way into high society thanks to her good looks and married a banker, Pierre Gautreau, who was twice older than his wife. Virginie highly valued her charm, dyed her hair and eyebrows with henna, and also covered her face and body with lavender-colored powder. At the time of the famous painting, she was 25 years old.

Elisabetta Gonzaga in a portrait by Raphael

Although the authorship of this painting was attributed to different artists, and it was not until the beginning of the 20th century that Raphael was identified, the model’s name was not in doubt. The painting depicts Elisabetta Gonzaga, Duchess of Urbino, one of the most educated women of her time.

At the court in Urbino, Elisabetta gathered outstanding artists. But the lady wasn’t very happy in marriage: her husband suffered from various diseases from birth and could not have children. However, the woman refused to break the marriage and touchingly cared for her husband until his death. This portrait was painted by Raphael in 1504, when Elizabeth was 33 years old.

Marie Antoinette with a rose in the painting by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun

Marie Antoinette was the last queen of France before the Great French Revolution. She was 27 years old when Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun painted the famous portrait in 1783.

The first version of the painting caused a scandal, the queen was criticized for choosing plain muslin instead of silk. The public thought the outfit looked like underwear. In 1783, the portrait was repainted, and the outfit was replaced with a traditional and ceremonial one. This painting was an attempt to restore Marie Antoinette’s image.

Flora in Rembrandt’s painting of the same name

Rembrandt often painted his wife Saskia van Uylenburgh. She appeared on his canvases in various images. Saskia was born into a wealthy family, but in her teens she was left an orphan and was raised by her sister.

At the age of 19, the girl came to Amsterdam in the company of artists, where she met Rembrandt. The lovers married in 1634, at the same time the painting Flora was finished. Saskia at that time was 22 years old.

The lady in the famous painting by Gustav Klimt

The portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer was commissioned by her husband, the wealthy merchant Ferdinand. Apparently the painter was satisfied with his work, as Adele became the only Viennese lady of whom Gustav Klimt painted 2 portraits. It was rumored that the painter and the woman had an affair, and she served as a model for his other paintings.

Adele was a well-known patron of the arts and actively participated in public life. But at the same time, according to relatives, she didn’t know happiness with her husband. It was a marriage of convenience, in addition, the couple was childless. In Klimt’s painting, Adele is 26 years old.

The lady with the ermine in Da Vinci’s painting

Leonardo da Vinci was in the service of Duke Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. He soon became an official court painter and was commissioned to paint the portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, the Duke’s mistress.

After her relationship with the Duke ended, she married Count Ludovico Carminati de’ Brambilla. Cecilia couldn’t have imagined how famous she would become. The woman presided over one of the most famous courts in northern Italy and became a respected author, musician and patron of the arts. At the time of the painting, the girl was 17 years old.

Helena Fourment on a Rubens painting

Helena Fourment became the second wife of the famous painter Rubens, and during their marriage often acted as a model for his mythological paintings. The girl grew up in the family of a wealthy silk and carpet merchant, and her background seemed like a big plus to the artist. He hoped that the daughter of a merchant would be more modest than a noble lady.

Helena’s father was a keen admirer of art and collected a small collection of paintings by Flemish Masters. Rubens and Helena married in 1630. In this portrait, the artist depicted the girl in her wedding dress. Helena at that moment was 16 years old.

The woman in Titian’s painting La Bella

It is not known who exactly was the model for Titian’s painting. It is believed that the painter depicted the same woman on the canvases Girl in a Fur and Venus of Urbino.

According to one version, the woman in the portrait is an aristocrat and famous patroness of artists, Isabella d’Este. She was the mother-in-law of Francesco Maria I della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, who may have commissioned the painting from Titian. It is assumed that the painter idealized the lady in the painting in accordance with the then accepted canons of beauty, because at the time of the creation of La Bella, Isabella was 62 years old.

Van Gogh in his self-portrait

Vincent van Gogh painted his famous self-portrait in January 1889. It is no coincidence that the artist depicted himself wearing a warm fur hat. This headdress symbolizes the difficulties Van Gogh faced at that time.

The painter moved from Paris to Arles to establish a community that was supposed to support artists. Arles was cold that winter, and Gauguin, Vincent’s friend and associate, threatened to leave the city. Van Gogh was 35 years old at the time of the painting.

The couple in the American Gothic painting

The models for Grant Wood’s famous painting were his sister Nan and family dentist Byron McKeeby. Wood asked his sister to make her own apron for the farmer’s daughter she was portraying. Unfortunately, the necessary trim was not available in the shops, so the woman had to remove pieces from her mother’s old dress.

Nan Wood Graham also became an artist, making collages and glass paintings. Her work was exhibited in Iowa and New York. In 1924, she married investor Edward Graham and traveled a lot with her husband around the world. At the time of the painting American Gothic, Nan was 31 years old, and McKeeby was 63 years old.

Lise with a parasol in the Renoir painting

The painting Lise with a Parasol is one of the most famous works of the painter. The girl’s older sister, Clémence Tréhot, was the mistress of the artist Jules Le Coeur, who later introduced Lise to Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Lise Tréhot was Renoir’s long-time mistress and posed for him for more than 20 paintings.

But over time, the couple decided to break off the relationship. A few years later, she married architect Georges Brière de l’Isle and had 2 sons and 2 daughters with him. At the time of painting, Lise was 19 years old.

And these famous paintings have fascinating stories behind them.