Mona Lisa Get A Makeover

International Women’s Day is almost upon us, and we should take this time to remember what the things are that make us women: Namely, being pretty and wearing makeup! Recently an English Mother used CyberLink’s YouCam Makeup to apply virtual cosmetics to her baby, creating quite a stir. In celebration of great dames across the globe, we decided to use the app for a slightly different purpose: To honor women in classic paintings by giving them a modern makeover. 

**Mona Lisa Courtesy of: http://oranok.files.wordpress.com/

The paintings we chose to give a refresh are "Mona Lisa ", by Leonardo da Vinci, and "Girl With a Pearl Earring ", by Johannes Vermeer. All of these iconic works of art are exercices in portraiture, and if we consider “Selfies” to be the modern equivalent of "Portraits", it seemed quite appropriate to give these ladies a style update with an app devoted to “Selfie Photography”. This refresh celebrates women in the arts throughout history and today. 

**Girl With The Pearl Earring Courtesy of: http://medias.onesttousdeartistes.tv

Women and Art History: A Love Hate Relationship 
Throughout history, women have played an important role in visual art as models, represented flawlessly by some of the greatest artist of our time. For example, this video illustrates 500 years of portraits of women in classic art. Unfortunately historically very few women have received recognition as celebrated painters, despite the fact there has been a multitude of talented women artists. 

In the past there were two ways women could achieve status as an artist:
1. By working within an artists’ workshop, restricted to creating portraits and still lifes
2. By entering an order and devoting themselves to religious art 

It wasn’t until the late seventeenth century that we finally saw women painters receiving proper recognition as artists. Regardless of how gifted a women artist was, they were still strangely absent from major museums. Fortunately today, the gap is smaller between men and women in the arts, however it can still be difficult for the latter to establish themselves. 

Are Selfies The Next Big Medium?
“Selfies” are currently quite in vogue. This new kind of self-portrait is recognized across the globe. It is not surprising to see applications for smartphones and tablets completely dedicated to taking Selfies, enabling users to express themselves and share their creativity. Some call this trend vain, but a Selfie, like art, can also be a means of expression. This new form of art that is the Selfie when used appropriately encourages solidarity and freedom of expression, especially on social networks. 

We hope that this year Selfies will encourage women to mobilize, envision and share even more creative ideas, making their voices heard and empowering females everywhere!

**Copyright of these artworks belong to their original creators

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