Great art doesn’t emerge out of the blue. The majority of artists drew inspiration from their muses – wives, beloved women, and other figures. It’s often fascinating to discover the history of inspiring encounters and relationships that contributed to the emergence of art.

Here is your introduction to the world’s best-known, famous muses who contributed to the creation of the world’s eternal masterpieces.

Top 3 Famous Muses You Should Know

Artistic talent and genius are a deeply personal matter. However, even the most talented artists draw inspiration and themes from various sources – people, relationships, romantic feelings, or tragic events. Here is a list of muses who left a trace in the lives and creative activities of some of the best-known artists in the world.

#1 Victorine Meurent: Manet’s Muse

The myth about Manet’s life-changing encounter with Victorine Meurent says that the painter met her in a busy street. Manet got so inspired by this encounter that he dropped his traditional painting style and opened an entirely new page in his creative work. Victorine later became the model for Manet’s two famous paintings: Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe and Olympia (featured image). Both of these works aroused scandal in the society of those times because they depicted Victorine completely nude.

#2 Camille Claudel: Rodin’s Inspiration

Claudel left a notable trace in the life and career of Auguste Rodin. She played many roles, from assistant to lover to muse, inspiring some of the most outstanding sculptures created by the artist. Their relationship was troubled and turbulent, with Camille Claudel suffering from Rodin’s indecisiveness in leaving another woman, Rose Beuret. The artist ultimately chose to stay with Beuret, thus causing Camille to slide into a mental disorder. She got institutionalized, but before that, the woman destroyed much of Rodin’s artistic legacy.

#3 Kiki de Montparnasse: The Muse of Surrealists

Kiki was an extravagant figure that inspired many Surrealist artists of the 1920s. She went down into history as a talented cabaret singer, memoir writer, and painter. Besides her own creative activities, she served as a model for several notable artists of the time. Particularly lengthy and fruitful was her partnership with Man Ray, an artist who created dozens of works featuring Kiki, including Noire et Blanche and Le Violin d’Ingres.

These and many other women played pronounced roles in artists’ lives, being featured in their art and motivating them for productive creative activity and experimentation. While the art community is more focused on the artists’ creative output, the role of famous muses should also not be underestimated.