Michaelina Wautier

The Baroque was a golden age for the arts in Flanders. Major figures, such as Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens, helped shape the Baroque movement, but Michaelina Wautier also belongs in that list. Despite her impressive body of work, she is sometimes called a forgotten artist because we know little about her life. She was probably born in Mons in 1614 to a wealthy family. She later moved to Brussels, where she was almost certainly initiated into the arts by her brother Charles.  

In the 17th century, most women artists specialised in a particular genre, such as still lifes or landscapes, and their works were usually small in size. Wautier, however, broke through those boundaries with ease. She showed off her talent in numerous forms: still lifes, flower arrangements, historical scenes, portraits ... Her work shows a great sense of realism and innovation. She also painted nudes and did so in an unprecedented way. In the painting The Triumph of Bacchus (Kunst­historisches Museum Vienna), she portrayed herself bare-breasted.

With self-confidence and an urge to innovate, she built up a strong reputation. At the time, she was already working for important, noble clients.