12 Powerful Women Throughout History - Alexia Sinclair

Marie Antoinette (The Extravagant Queen)

It's pretty impressive how Australian photographer and digital artist Alexia Sinclair is able to balance the beauty of fine art, history, and modern art techniques. "The Regal Twelve" series is a suite of pictures depicting powerful historical women combining photography, illustration, European backdrops, fashion models, historical treasures and symbolic references, digitally montaged to create works based on historical truths.

"My influences range from Botticelli and de' Medici circle to contemporary couture fashion designers such as John Galliano and Alexander McQueen. All of the portraits are inspired by the styles and fashions of each monarch and are reinterpreted into a contemporary visual narrative." -Alexia Sinclair

Christina of Sweden (The Androgynous Queen)

Catherine the Great (The Enlightened Empress)

Elizabeth I (The Virgin Queen)

Alexandra Romanov (The Last Czarina)

Elizabeth Bathory (The Countess of Blood)

Olympias (The Sorcerous)

Boudica (The Celtic Queen)

Eleanor of Aquitaine (The Eagle)

Isabella of Spain (The Catholic)

Agrippina (The Poisoness)

Cleopatra (The Seductress)

Alexia Sinclair's website

Tags: alexia, art, history, modern, sinclair, the regal twelve, women

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Comment by Mary Stuart on August 3, 2009 at 5:45pm: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX-n7e2gKDs&feature=related
Look none of these images depict women as powerful. The queen theme is just an excuse to play with little dolls and dress them up. They are images of women as Clothes Hangers, infantile, sexually available fantasy figures.
To understand the use, and it is use, of images of women in media like fashion and advertising look up Portrayal Betrayal: Women in the Media on Youtube

Comment by Kyle Spence on July 22, 2009 at 10:07am: Maybe if woman with imperfect, voluptuous bodies and crooked noses weren't insecure and would let modern day artists draw them and be proud of their bodies and the way they look; then maybe you would see more paintings and portrayals of ancient power using realistic models. Don't blame society....blame your self-confidence.....see you in the catalog.

Comment by Jackanory W-O on July 8, 2009 at 5:44am: Maria you've made a really key error there, back then women with characteristics like voluptuous bodies, crooked or large noses and pasty colored skin were seen as perfect!

Comment by Maria Afsharian on June 29, 2009 at 12:54am: While this is absolutely stunning art it makes me sad because to me it shows POWER = PHYSICAL PERFECTION. Yea Yea I know, why be so uptight -- but really what happened to all the famous paintings of these ladies hanging in world museums showing them as physically imperfect with voluptuous bodies, crooked or large noses, pasty colored skin. I think its hard to deny then that these photos are a reflection about today's society and their quest to perfection - even if it means redrawing history to suit that image. I would love to see Alexia do the same type of brilliant art using the images that the masters documented of these women. To me real power is the ability to accept that we're imperfect but still rise to leadership despite society's opinions of how we should be or how we should look.

Comment by C. Michele Jacob on May 28, 2009 at 2:15pm: great work

Comment by Abeer A on May 17, 2009 at 8:14pm: daaamnn this is beautiful!!!!

Comment by Raul Breuler on May 17, 2009 at 3:24am: Curious: the 12 most powerful women of all time, and we have Marie Antoinette, who was powerless, BUT no mention of Hypathia of Alexandria. A women centuries ahead of her time, known world-wide for her intelligence. The only thing the two have in common, is their death being caused by mob brutality.
Raul

Comment by Peter Edmond Dant on May 16, 2009 at 11:15pm: Can you please tell me what "sorcerous" and "poisoness" mean?

Comment by Kliove on May 15, 2009 at 3:33pm: this inspires my life.

Comment by alice on May 14, 2009 at 5:29pm: @Esteban Haha..your comments always crack me up.