ART’S MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMEN
A Kindle Coffee Table Book
Art’s Most Beautiful Series #1
Written and Edited by Douglas DeLong
Cover Image: “Idleness” (John Wm. Godward, 1900)
Images Source: Wikimedia Commons
Published by Yesteryear Books
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express
written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Loveliest of women! Heaven is in thy soul,
Beauty and virtue shine forever round thee,
Bright’ning each other! Thou art all divine!
– Joseph Addison – Cato, A Tragedy (1713)
Contents
More From Yesteryear Books
Introduction
Featured Artists
Gallery Viewing Tips
John Wm. Godward (1861-1922)
Guide to Godward Paintings
Godward Gallery
John Wm. Waterhouse (1849-1917)
Guide to Waterhouse Paintings
Waterhouse Gallery
Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882)
Guide to Rossetti Paintings
Rossetti Gallery
Marie Spartali Stillman (1844 – 1927)
Guide to Stillman Paintings
Stillman Gallery
Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898)
Guide to Burne-Jones Paintings
Burne-Jones Gallery
Evelyn De Morgan (1855-1919)
Guide to De Morgan Paintings
De Morgan Gallery
Frederick Sandys (1829-1904)
Guide to Sandys Paintings
Sandys Gallery
Jules Lefebvre (1836-1911)
Guide to Lefebvre Paintings
Lefebvre Gallery
Frederic Leighton (1830-1896)
Guide to Leighton Paintings
Leighton Gallery
William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905)
Guide to Bouguereau Paintings
Bouguereau Gallery
Charles-Amable Lenoir (1860-1926)
Guide to Lenoir Paintings
Lenoir Gallery
Eugene de Blaas (1843-1932)
Guide to de Blaas Paintings
de Blaas Gallery
Julio Romero de Torres (1874-1930)
Guide to de Torres Paintings
de Torres Gallery
Vittorio Reggianini (1858-1938)
Guide to Reggianini Paintings
Reggianini Gallery
Leon Comerre (1850 - 1916)
Guide to Comerre Paintings
Commerre Gallery
Delphin Enjolras (1865-1945)
Guide to Enjolras Paintings
Enjolras Gallery
Emile Vernon (1872-1920)
Guide to Vernon Paintings
Vernon Gallery
Art's Most Beautiful Nudes Available Now!
About the Author
More From Yesteryear Books
Art’s Most Beautiful Nudes
Art’s Most Beautiful Orientalist Paintings
The Yesteryear Gazette: Volume One
The Yesteryear Gazette: Volume Two
The Yesteryear Gazette: Volume Three
The Big Book of Vintage Movie Posters: Volume One
The Big Book of Vintage Movie Posters: Volume Two
The Big Book of Vintage Movie Posters: Volume Three
The Big Book of Vintage Advertising Posters: Volume One
The Big Book of Vintage Advertising Posters: Volume Two
The Big Book of Vintage Advertising Posters: Volume Three
Introduction
The female form has long been a favorite subject for artists around the world. In this collection, we
present nearly 200 digitally-enhanced high-resolution works of art from 17 of the world’s greatest
painters. Each artist brought their own unique perspective to the women they painted, but all have
captured the beauty of their subjects in intimate and beguiling portraits. The paintings in this
collection were created in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by artists from England, Spain,
France, and Italy. Several different art movements are represented, including Pre-Rapaelite, French
Academic, Symbolism, and Arts and Crafts.
In the Featured Artists section, you will find a short biography of each artist with links provided to
more in-depth information. The paintings are presented in galleries, with each gallery preceded by a
guide which will identify each painting by title and year (when available). Portraits or photos of each
artist are also included (when available).
This is the first in a series of “Art’s Most Beautiful” Kindle Coffee Table Books. If you enjoy it, a
quick review on our Amazon page or a short note on your social media pages would be greatly
appreciated!
Douglas DeLong
January 2018
Featured Artists
John William Godward (1861 – 1922)
Godward was an English Neoclassicist painter. His art featured beautiful women wearing the flowing
clothing of the Greco-Roman period and featured the beautiful marble columns that were emblematic
of that time. This style of art fell out of favor as people began to embrace modern art, and even though
his art is today experiencing something of a resurgence, Godward is still not as appreciated as he
perhaps should be. As a young man, his desire to become an artist was so objectionable to his family
that they disinherited him and he died tragically, committing suicide at age 61. In his suicide note, he
wrote that “the world is not big enough for myself and a Picasso.” When he died, his family burned
all his papers and photos. As a result, no photographs of Godward are known to exist. LEARN
MORE
John William Waterhouse (1849 – 1917)
Waterhouse was an English painter who was known for his large-scale paintings of women and
subject matter from Greek mythology and Arthurian legend. Later in his career, he began to paint
subject matter in a Pre-Raphaelite style utilizing rich, vivid colors. He had a special interest in
depicting scenes from literature, such as Lord Tennyson and William Shakespeare. The women he
portrayed were often involved in dramatic situations – damsels in distress or femme fatales. His three
portrayals of Ophelia were a good example of this, with each painting showing her coming closer to
her death. Like Godward, his style went out of vogue at the beginning of the 20th century, but his art
experienced a revival in the late 20th century. LEARN MORE
Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828 – 1882)
Rosetti was a British poet, illustrator, and painter and was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite
Brotherhood in 1848. The PRB was a small group of artists who believed the art created by Raphael
(1483-1520) and other artists who came after him to be somewhat inferior to what had been done
before Raphael. They made it their mission to return to the intense colors and intricate compositions
of earlier Italian artists. Rossetti’s work was known for its sensuality and its medieval themes. He
often combined his poetry with his art, writing sonnets to accompany his paintings. His personal life
was intertwined with his art, as he was known to have had relationships with several of his
models. LEARN MORE
Marie Spartali Stillman (1844 – 1927)
Stillman was an English Pre-Raphaelite painter of Greek heritage who first gained fame as a much
sought after model for the artists in the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. But in 1864, at the age of 20, she
decided that what she really wanted was to be on the other side of the easel. Three years later she
made her artistic debut and went on to become the most successful female painter of the Pre-
Raphaelite movement, producing a prolific 170 paintings during her lifetime. In the second half of the
19th century, the art world was very much dominated by men, so Stillman was an important
trailblazer, but her contributions to art history remain somewhat underappreciated. LEARN MORE
Edward Burne-Jones (1833 – 1898)
Burne-Jones was a British painter who was part of the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement.
He was a superb painter, but his artistic talents extended to other areas as well, such as designing
ceramic tiles, jewelry, tapestries, and mosaics. One of his most notable achievements was his
contribution to the revival of stained glass art in Britain. His stained glass windows can be found in a
large number of British churches and cathedrals. His stained glass work supported him financially,
which was important because he was a notoriously slow painter, sometimes taking decades to
complete his paintings. He is considered to be one of the main motivating forces behind the Arts and
Crafts movement. LEARN MORE
Evelyn De Morgan (1855 – 1919)
DeMorgan was an English painter, a follower of Burne-Jones whose style was influenced by the Pre-
Raphaelite movement, but who was more closely aligned with the Symbolist or Arts and Crafts
movements. Both she and her husband William were spiritualists, experimenting with phenomena
such as automatic writing; angels take center stage in many of her paintings. She was also a strong
feminist and avidly advocated for women’s suffrage. Both her and William were also pacifists,
strongly opposing the First World War. LEARN MORE
Frederick Sandys (1829 – 1804)
Frederick Sandys was an English Pre-Raphaelite painter and illustrator. He was taught by his father,
Anthony Sands, himself an accomplished painter, before going on to study at the Norwich School of
Design. He was a close friend of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, whose influence can be seen in his
paintings, so much so that the two eventually had a falling out when Rossetti accused Sandys of
copying him. His art also contained literary and mythical themes, with Medea (the sorceress from
Jason and the Golden Fleece) being perhaps his most well-known work, even though it was rejected
by the Royal Academy in 1868. LEARN MORE
Jules Joseph Lefebvre (1836 – 1911)
Lefebvre was a French figure painter and educator. He was an art professor at the Academie Julian in
Paris who taught quite a few famous painters, including many Americans. In 1861, he won the highly
prestigious Prix de Rome, a competition for young painters, that would virtually guarantee him a
successful career. Later in his career he became known for his many paintings of beautiful women,
including many nudes, with a reviewer at the 1881 Paris Salon writing, “Jules Lefebvre, better than
anyone else caresses, with a brush both delicate and sure, the undulating contour of the feminine
form.” LEARN MORE
Frederick Leighton (1830 – 1896)
Leighton was an English painter and sculptor. His subject matter included historical, biblical, and
classical themes. He was a VIP in the world of art, having been the president of the Royal Academy
from 1878 until his death in 1896. He had a distinguished military career from 1860 until 1883, was
knighted in in 1878, and made a Baron on January 24, 1897, just one day before he suddenly passed
away of angina pectoris. LEARN MORE
William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825 – 1905)
Bouguereau was a French academic painter. He focused on painting the female form, creating modern
interpretations of classical subjects. He enjoyed great success and popularity in both France and the
United States while he was alive, although the public’s tastes changed in the early 20th century and
his art became less popular. Like other painters of his era, though, his art enjoyed a revival in the
latter part of the 20th century. He was a prolific painter, with 822 paintings to his credit, although the
whereabouts of many of them remain unknown. LEARN MORE
Charles-Amable Lenoir (1860-1926)
Like Bouguereau, Lenoir was a French academic painter. In fact, Bouguereau was Lenoir’s teacher
and friend at the Academie Julian in Paris. Lenoir painted realistic portraits, but also mythological
and religious scenes. He was so respected that he won many prestigious awards, including the Prix de
Rome (twice) and the Legion of Honour. Lenoir was known for his portrayals of feminine beauty. A
reviewer at the 1923 Paris Salon wrote, “The paintings of this charming artist are extremely delicate
and original. His palette is rich, warm and bright. He is one of the most imaginative and sensible
interpreters of feminine grace. We do not evaluate a painting by Charles Lenoir, we simply love it.”
LEARN MORE
Eugene de Blaas (1843-1932)
Eugene de Blaas was an Italian painter from the school known as Academic Classicism who became
a very popular painter of Venetian genre paintings. His paintings depicted the lives of ordinary
Venetians, such as fishermen and gondoliers, but his real passion was for the beautiful women of
Venice, whom he often placed against the beautiful stonework of the city walls. Paula Prina was one
of his favorite models and in 1870 she married de Blaas. LEARN MORE
Julio Romero de Torres (1874 – 1930)
De Torres was a Spanish painter who was known for his sensual portraits of women, especially
gypsy women. His father, Raphael Romero Barros, was also a famous painter and became Julio’s
teacher, who took an interest in art from the age of ten. He later traveled across Europe to study his
craft at various schools. De Torres paintings are considered to be part of the Symbolist art
movement. His unique style stands out from other painters and during the later years of his life he
became well-known for his erotic paintings of nude women. He also fought in World War One as a
pilot. LEARN MORE
Vittorio Reggianini (1858 – 1938)
Reggianini was an Italian painter who created a world of romance, flirtation and lots of satin. His
paintings featured lots of young women who appeared to be from the European middle classes. He
focused on the women, but also paid close attention to the richness of texture in the dresses being
worn, as well as the upholstery and draperies. The end result is a lushness that is quite
striking. LEARN MORE
Leon Comerre (1850 – 1916)
Comerre was a French academic painter who was known primarily for his portraits of beautiful
women. He exhibited at the Paris Salon for the first time 1871 and in the following years won several
major and prestigious prizes from various academies. He continued his studies at the famous Ecole
Nationale Superieure de Beaux-Art in Paris, where he found an interest in Orientalist painting.
LEARN MORE
Delphin Enjolras (1865 – 1945)
Enjolras was French academic painter who painted portraits, nudes, and interiors. He painted
primarily with watercolors and pastels but also sometimes used oils. In his early career, he painted
primarily landscapes, but later his interest turned to painting women. His paintings usually feature
young women performing everyday activities like reading or sewing and he often uses lamplight to
illuminate the women. LEARN MORE
Emile Vernon (1872-1920)
Vernon was a French academic painter who studied under Bouguereau at the Ecole Des Beaux Arts.
He exhibited regularly at The Exposition of Fine Arts and Decorative Arts in Paris. He painted
portraits, landscapes, and flowers, but his passion was for painting women and children. He was also
commissioned to paint murals and oil paintings for French theaters. LEARN MORE
Gallery Viewing Tips
1) Double-tap to enlarge any image.
2) Double-tap and then tilt your device to completely enlarge landscape images.
3) Pinch to zoom in or out.
4) Turn on “Page Turn Animation” in Kindle settings.
5) For optimum viewing, try switching your Kindle to a black background.
JOHN WM. GODWARD (1861-1922)
Guide to Godward Paintings
(In order of appearance)
1. A Souvenir (1920)
2. In Realms of Fancy (1911)
3. The Answer (1917)
4. Violets Sweet Violets (1906)
5. A Grecian Girl (1908)
6. Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder (1912)
7. With Violets Wreathed and Robe of Saffron Hue (1902)
8. Ionian Dancing Girl (1902)
9. Reverie (1912)
10. Sweet Dreams (1901)
11. The Belvedere (1913)
12. A Pompeian Lady (1891)
13. A Fair Reflection (1915)
14. Athenais (1908)
15. An Offering to Venus (1912)
16. Nerissa (1906)
17. The Priestess (1895)
18. Idleness (1900)
19. A Grecian Lovely (1909)
20. Under the Blossom That Hangs on the Bough (1917)
21. When the Heart is Young (1902)
22. The Quiet Pet (1906)
23. Summer Idleness – Day Dreams (1909)
24. A Pompeian Fishpond (1904)
25. In the Days of Sappho (1904)
Godward Gallery
JOHN WM. WATERHOUSE (1849-1917)
Guide to Waterhouse Paintings
(In order of appearance)
1. Gather Ye Rosebuds (1909)
2. Lamia (1909)
3. Ophelia (1894)
4. “I am Half-Sick of Shadows” said the Lady of Shalott (1915)
5. Mariana in the South (1897)
6. The Crystal Ball (1902)
7. A Mermaid (1900)
8. Nymphs Finding the Head of Orpheus (1900)
9. Pandora (1896)
10. Thisbe (The Listener) (1909)
11. Echo and Narcissus (1903)
12. The Annunciation (1914)
13. The Lady of Shalott (1888)
14. Saint Cecilia (1895)
Waterhouse Gallery
DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI (1828-1882)
Guide to Rossetti Paintings
(In order of appearance)
1. La Ghirlandata (1871-1874)
2. The Bower Meadow (1872)
3. Lady Lilith (1872)
4. Bocca Baciata (1859)
5. The Loving Cup (1867)
6. The Day Dream (1880)
7. Proserpine (1874)
8. Veronica Veronese (1872)
9. Monna Vanna (1866)
10. Roman Widow (1874)
11. Aurelia (Fazio’s Mistress) (1863; 1873)
12. A Sea-Spell (1875-1877)
13. A Christmas Carol (1867)
Rossetti Gallery
MARIE SPARTALI STILLMAN (1844 –
1927)
Guide to Stillman Paintings
(In order of appearance)
1. Madonna Pietra degli Scrovigni (1884)
2. Love’s Messenger (1885)
3. Beatrice (1895)
4. Love Sonnets (1894)
5. Self-Portrait
6. The Childhood of Saint Cecilia (1883)
7. Convent Lily (1891)
Stillman Gallery
EDWARD BURNE-JONES (1833-1898)
Guide to Burne-Jones Paintings
(In order of appearance)
1. Song of Love (1868-1877)
2. Sidonia von Bork (1860)
3. The Beguiling of Merlin (1874)
4. Vesper (1872-1873)
5. Clara von Bork (1860)
6. Cupid’s Hunting Fields (1882)
7. Sibylla Delphica (1868)
8. The Prioress’s Tale (1869-1898)
9. Garden Hesperides (1869-1873)
10. Laus Veneris (1873-1875)
11. The Wine of Circe (1900)
12. The Fight: St. George Kills the Dragon (1866)
13. The Mirror of Venus (1875)
Burne-Jones Gallery
EVELYN DE MORGAN (1855-1919)
Guide to De Morgan Paintings
(In order of appearance)
1. Ariadne in Naxos (1877)
2. Queen Eleanor & Fair Rosamund (1880-1919)
3. The Love Potion (1903)
4. Deianera (1878)
5. Eos (1895)
6. Helen of Troy (1898)
7. Flora (1894)
8. Hope in a Prison of Despair (1887)
9. The Storm Spirits (1900)
De Morgan Gallery
FREDERICK SANDYS (1829-1904)
Guide to Sandys Paintings
(In order of appearance)
1. Morgan le Fay (1863-1864)
2. Vivien (1863)
3. Isolda with the Love Potion (1870)
4. Medea (1866-1868)
5. Portrait of a Lady (1860)
6. May Margaret (1865-1866)
7. Grace Rose (1866)
8. Mariya Magdalena (1859)
Sandys Gallery
JULES LEFEBVRE (1836-1911)
Guide to Lefebvre Paintings
(In order of appearance)
1. The Fiancee (1882)
2. Portrait of Julia Foster (1880)
3. Clemence Isaure
4. Girl With a Mandolin
5. Judith (1892)
6. Springtime
7. Morning Glory (1879)
8. Servant (1880)
9. Rachel (1888)
10. Graziella (1878 )
Lefebvre Gallery
FREDERIC LEIGHTON (1830-1896)
Guide to Leighton Paintings
(In order of appearance)
1. Flaming June (1895)
2. Wedded (1881-1882)
3. Light of the Harem (1880)
4. Girl With a Basket of Fruit (1863)
5. A Girl
6. Music Lesson (1877)
7. Nausicaa (1879)
8. Solitude (1890)
9. Winding the Skein (1878)
10. Girls Picking Up Pebbles by the Sea (1871)
11. The Garden of the Hesperides (1892)
12. The Painter’s Honeymoon (1864)
13. Songs Without Words
Leighton Gallery
WILLIAM-ADOLPHE BOUGUEREAU
(1825-1905)
Guide to Bouguereau Paintings
(In order of appearance)
1. Thirst (1886)
2. Italian Girl Drawing Water (1871)
3. Gleaner (1894)
4. The Countess de Montholon
5. The Dance (1856)
6. Chansons de Printemps (1889)
7. A Dream of Spring (1901)
8. Work Interrupted (1891)
9. The Veil (1898)
10. Gabrielle Cot (1890)
11. Head of a Young Girl (1898)
12. Lady Maxwell (1890)
Bouguereau Gallery
CHARLES-AMABLE LENOIR (1860-1926)
Guide to Lenoir Paintings
(In order of appearance)
1. Meditation (1899)
2. The Flute Player
3. Pandora (1902)
4. A Nymph in the Forest
5. A Dance by the Sea
6. The Pink Rose
7. An Elegant Lady
8. To the Return of Times Lost
9. Day Dreams
Lenoir Gallery
EUGENE DE BLAAS (1843-1932)
Guide to de Blaas Paintings
(In order of appearance)
1. The Serenade (1910)
2. At the Opera (1899)
3. De Musette (1900)
4. On the Beach (1908)
5. The Watercarrier (1908)
6. Le Travail
7. The Eavesdropper
8. Flower Girl
9. Sharing the News (1904)
10. The Flirtation
11. The Spider and the Fly (1889)
12. Two Venetian Women (1898)
13. Flirtation at the Well (1902)
14. The Flirtation (1904)
15. Catch of the Day
16. Plauderei (1905)
17. The Love Letter (1904)
18. The Friendly Gossips (1901)
de Blaas Gallery
JULIO ROMERO DE TORRES (1874-
1930)
Guide to de Torres Paintings
(In order of appearance)
1. Carmen de Cordoba
2. La Chiquita Piconera (1930)
3. The Sisters of Santa Marina (1925)
4. Samaritan (1920)
5. Happiness (1917)
6. Carmen and Fuensanta
7. Oranges and Lemons (1927)
8. Panel (1912)
9. La Buenaventura (1922)
10. La Primavera (1925)
de Torres Gallery
VITTORIO REGGIANINI (1858-1938)
Guide to Reggianini Paintings
(In order of appearance)
1. Admiration
2. Eavesdropping
3. Feeding the Parrot
4. Composing a Letter
5. The Letter
6. An Illicit Letter
7. A Shocking Announcement
8. The Recital
9. The Appreciative Audience
Reggianini Gallery
LEON COMERRE (1850 - 1916)
Guide to Comerre Paintings
(In order of appearance)
1. The Beautiful Reader
2. An Eastern Beauty I
3. An Eastern Beauty II
4. The Favorite
5. Young Girl With Candle
6. A Classical Beauty
7. The Flower Seller
8. The Pretty Maid
9. Calinerie
10. Divan
Commerre Gallery
DELPHIN ENJOLRAS (1865-1945)
Guide to Enjolras Paintings
(In order of appearance)
1. Young Woman Reading by a Window
2. Lady With a Bouquet
3. Arranging Flowers
4. Elegant Lady Admiring a Sculpture
5. Female Figure Holding a Staff
6. Woman With a Cigarette
7. Reading Near the Lamp
8. The Letter
9. Le Boudoir
10. Pensive
11. The Japanese Kimono
12. The Mask
13. The Musicians on the Terrace
14. Reading at Lamp Light
15. The Boudoir
16. The Murmur of the Sea
Enjolras Gallery
EMILE VERNON (1872-1920)
Guide to Vernon Paintings
(In order of appearance)
1. Fille Au Citronnier (1913)
2. Elegant Lady With a Bouquet of Roses
3. La Printemps (1913)
4. An Auburn Beauty
5. Fair as the Morning
6. Jeune Fille en Fleurs
7. Lovely as a Rose (1913)
8. The Flower Garden (1915)
9. A Young Lady With a Mirror (1909)
Vernon Gallery
Art's Most Beautiful Nudes Available Now!
About the Author
Douglas DeLong is originally from Colorado, but came to Japan in 1991 and never quite made it back
home. He is currently basking in the warm breezes of Okinawa. He’s a writer, teacher, photographer,
raconteur and rascal. His passions are history, art, photography, movies, and cats.
