Female Stereotypes: From "Madonna" To "The Sinful Woman"

 

Helene Sedlmayr, ca. 1830 

This 17-year-old girl (born in Munich 1813) has attained eternal fame for something that sadly enough isn't very endurable: Her beauty - and beautiful she was, no doubt about it. It was the Bavarian court painter Joseph Karl Stieler who made her portrait for inclusion in the famous "Gallery of Beauties" which was instituted by King, Ludwig I (1789-1868). This German collection of female beauties wasn't even the first one of its kind, as several other monarchs have made something like it, but this consisted of 38 portraits of women who were considered extremely beautiful. Most of them belonged to the nobility of Munich, and 36 of them were painted by Joseph Karl Stieler, who also painted the king's portrait:

Ludvig I of Bavaria 

As most, but not all, of the confirmed beauties of the king's gallery were out of nobility, what was Helene Sedlmayr doing there? OK, she was beautiful in an almost Madonna-like manner, but, being the daughter of a shoemaker, she wasn't noble, so what was going on? The king always had a keen eye for female beauty, and one of his most famous mistresses was the Irish-born dancer, actress as well as "courtesane", Lola Montez (1821-1861), whom he endowed with a noble title that turned her into "The countess of Landsfeld". Something which the Bavarian government didn't accept, and which played a crucial part in Ludvig I losing his throne. However, although she died young from syphilis in New York, her portrait may still be seen in his gallery of beauties.

Lola Montez 

As to Helene Sedlmayr then she had a much less adventurous life than Lola Montez. Was she the king's mistress? I haven't seen any notes or even rumors stating that she was, so I take it that she wasn't: She simply was a notorious beauty, and he loved female beauty, so she belonged in his gallery. Also, she married one of his valets, and they had nine sons and one daughter. Before her marriage she had been employed in a toy shop which also supplied the royal court, so, contrary to Lola Montez, she hadn't in any way been what's called "a loose woman". No, Helene was "a good girl, who happened to be extremely beautiful".

Princess Diana admirering Helene Sedlmayr

One might say that Lola Montez and Helene Sedlmayr represent two popular, but opposite, female stereotypes, the one of the chaste Madonna and the other one, the sensual, non-chaste seductress. In many ways these stereotypes are utterly ridiculous, but they have been long-lived and can't be ignored as molds for recognizable female characters in the Patriarchy. Interestingly enough, the princess whom we see admirering the portrait of Helene Sedlmayr herself changed from being an idolized Madonna-figure to a somewhat shady and sensuous character by taking a lover: That's all it takes for a woman in the Patriarchy!

By the way, King Ludvig I didn't just exploit these 38 beauties for his gallery of portraits, but he also saw to it that they had an allowance or gave them a position at court. 

https://www.artnet.com/artists/joseph-karl-stieler/

 

https://www.schloss-nymphenburg.de/englisch/palace/room15.htm 

 

Wikipedia