Michaelina Wautier: The Bold Belgian Baroque Painter Who Outsized, Out Painted, and Outlasted the Boys—Until History Forgot Her (But Not Anymore!)”
Some artists go big, and then there’s Michaelina Wautier, who went monumental.
Born in 1604 in Mons (then part of the Spanish Netherlands, now Belgium), Michaelina was a unicorn of her time: a woman painting massive historical scenes, male nudes, and genre-bending portraits, all at a time when women were supposed to stick to still lifes and angels. And she did it with such swagger that, for centuries, her works were assumed to be by a man. Today, Wautier is finally having her moment in the spotlight. And oh, how it’s overdue.
1. Who Was Michaelina Wautier?
A mystery, a master, and maybe a bit of a rebel.
Michaelina lived and worked in Brussels with her younger brother Charles, also a painter, but make no mistake, she was the star of the studio. Unlike many women artists of her time, she didn’t enter a convent, didn’t marry, and didn’t limit herself to “feminine” subjects. Instead, she painted whatever she pleased: mythological mayhem, expressive portraits, and yes, even large-scale male nudes.
A 1659 inventory listed 36 works by her hand. Then, history blinked, and she disappeared from the canon.
2. Why Was She Forgotten?
Partly because she didn’t play the fame game.
Michaelina was a bit of a recluse, and many of her signed works ended up in royal collections where they were later attributed to her brother, or completely misattributed to men. For example, one of her most jaw-dropping masterpieces, “The Triumph of Bacchus”, was for years thought to be painted by a man, because surely no woman could handle such a rowdy, semi-nude party scene with such painterly bravado.
Charles WAUTIER
Mons 1609 – Bruxelles 1698, Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Bruxelles / photo : Grafisch Buro Lefevre, Heule
3. Fun Fact: She Painted Better Men Than the Men Did
One of Michaelina’s boldest moves was painting life-sized male figures, often nude or in dramatic poses.
Why is this a big deal? Because women weren’t allowed in the anatomy studios. They weren’t given access to live male models. And yet, Michaelina’s anatomical precision and artistic daring surpassed even many of her male contemporaries.
“There is no equivalent in the 17th century of a woman who painted such a variety of genres at such a high level,” said art historian Katlijne Van der Stighelen.
Wautier’s work spans portraits, religious scenes, genre painting, and mythological subjects. That kind of range? Unheard of for a woman in her time.
4. Her Comeback: 300 Years Later
In 2018, the Museum aan de Stroom (MAS) in Antwerp hosted the first-ever exhibition dedicated solely to Michaelina Wautier:
“Michaelina: Baroque’s Leading Lady.”
And what a show it was! Art lovers and critics were stunned by the scale, power, and sheer originality of her work. She wasn’t just good for a woman, she was great. Period.
5. Most Famous Works (And Where to Find Them)
Here are some of her most celebrated paintings (all in public collections and available to view online):
- “The Triumph of Bacchus” (1650)
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
This wild, debauched celebration of the god of wine includes dozens of figures, including Michaelina’s self-portrait at the far left, casually holding a wine glass. Iconic.
- “Portrait of a Young Man” (c. 1650)
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
A refined and moody study of masculine beauty and introspection.
- “Two Boys Blowing Bubbles” (c. 1640s)
Private collection, formerly exhibited at MAS Antwerp
An allegory of the fleeting nature of life, childhood, innocence, and time, all in one beautiful moment.
“Saint Joachim Reading a Book” (1650s)
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels
A gentle and contemplative take on the Virgin Mary’s father, full of warm light and serenity.
6. Sisterhood: Collaboration with Her Brother
Michaelina lived and worked with her brother Charles Wautier, who was also an artist. But while Charles was no slouch, many works previously credited to him are now believed to be hers. This kind of artistic identity mix-up wasn’t uncommon in the 17th century, but the scale of Michaelina’s misattribution is shocking.
Thanks to modern scholarship (and a whole lot of signatures hidden under grime), her name is being restored to the masterpieces.
7. Why Michaelina Still Matters
Michaelina Wautier represents what happens when women are given, or take the freedom to express their full creative range. Her works are fearless, witty, technically stunning, and richly human.
In a world still reckoning with gender bias in the arts, Michaelina’s story is both cautionary and inspiring. She reminds us that talent doesn’t care about gender, but history often does.
And the best part? We’re finally rewriting that history.
Final Thoughts: Forgotten No More
Michaelina Wautier didn’t just stand with the Baroque masters; she outshone many of them. Her disappearance from the history books wasn’t due to a lack of talent, but a lack of recognition.
That’s changing. So next time you walk through a museum or leaf through an art book, look closer. The brush behind that masterpiece might just belong to Michaelina.
And if it does? Raise a metaphorical glass of Baroque-era wine and toast her genius.
