Capturing Girlhood in Art

Feature image: Andrew Wyeth, Christina's World, 1948 via MoMA

In a world of fleeting, myriad social media trends, there is undoubtedly one you can resonate with. For some, it may be reconsidering how often you think about the Roman Empire. For others, it may be reminiscing pivotal elements of girlhood: Barbie dolls, pixelated makeover games, the first time you met your best friend, and those unbearably uncomfortable plastic princess heels. 

The current “girlhood trend” may be just another trend, but it is more profound than a blip of time on your Instagram feed; it is more than dolls and movies. While each girlhood varies by culture, it remains a timeless, universally shared experience to some degree. 

Though girlhood may be trendy now, it’s been captured through art for hundreds of years, highlighting how girlhood is not bound to an era. Whether intentional or not, the following paintings embrace elements of girlhood that rekindle a feeling of innocence and pure happiness.

Despite the apparent difference in era, Maria Salk-Lambiotte captures one of the pillars of being a girl: chatting or gossiping with your girlfriends. In college, it could be applied to the “Morning Debrief” —a conversation recapping everyone’s nights after an evening of going out to the bars. “The Conversation” can represent many core memories that coincide with girlhood. When Salkin-Lamiotte created this painting in the early 20th century, she unknowingly captured a timeless moment between women that is shared across all eras, cultures, and ages. 

One universally experienced childhood moment is when adults need to be adults, and you are left bored with your own devices. Felice Casorati illustrates this exact feeling of being a child at the age when you can be left alone and have to entertain yourself. 

Here, Castorati details a scene of a young girl surrounded by a pile of her toys and trinkets while still appearing bored. She lazily pets her dog in the corner of what seems to be a vast and empty room. The “Young Girl on a Red Carpet” parallels the loneliness accompanying girlhood and childhood in general. Despite the large, luxuriously carpeted room with massive windows and all her belongings, the girl is content with the presence of her pet alone. 

Felice Casorati’s catalog is quite the opposite of what we see in “Young Girl on a Red Carpet.” Most of his work aligns with the still-life in this painting, but his other works—such as “Sleeping Reader (with head)”—are reminiscent of Picasso’s geometric and abstract approaches; given that both artists are Italian from similar eras, this should come as no surprise.

Girlhood is not definitively our younger ages. Girlhood can be our experiences in our teens and early 20s. Jane Corrigan portrays this era of girlhood; the simplicity of holding your cat in your pajamas can bring such happiness to oneself. The girl’s pajamas and nearby slippers translate the comfort and safety she feels in the moment. On the table is a carrot, likely a toy in this context, with nothing else surrounding her. This could be a stylistic choice or a strategic one. If the latter, the emptiness could symbolize how, at this moment, it feels like it is just her and her cat alone in the world together. And with her slight smile, she seems quite content if that were the case.

Most of Corrigan’s work centers around girlhood and portrays glimpses of childhood. From being scared of monsters in the closet to frolicking in the ocean, Corrigan’s highly specific and niche girlhood memories can easily tug at your nostalgic heartstrings. 

Whether you were or not, being a ballerina was at least a thought that popped into your mind as a little girl. The pink tutus, leotards, silky pointe shoes, and feminine costumes were irresistible. Seeing “Barbie in the Pink Shoes” movie was the catalyst for some of today’s talented dancers. 

Edgar Degas agreed that dance, specifically ballet, was a true art form he needed to capture to show his admiration for the skill. “The Dance Class encapsulates not just Degas’ love for ballet and girlhood nostalgia but also the reality of being a dancer. At a closer glance, the variety of dancers showcases the genuine emotions in a ballet class. In the foreground are two little girls, one helping the other tie her corset together. Further back in the room, dancers practice, but some of the girls in the back of the room reveal the pain of the slicked-back hair, too-tight corsets and chokers, and genuine boredom of waiting for instruction. It accurately portrays how the idea of something is not always as romantic and glamorous as the reality. 

This painting is anything but short of descriptive emotion. Mary Cassatt, known for her detailed illustrations of children’s emotions, paints a little girl slouched in a chair with her pet—a common theme in child portraits—sat in the seat next to her. Although displeasure and boredom are not emotions exclusive to girlhood, there is an underlying feeling when looking at this painting.

As a young girl, you are taught distinct manners: have good postures, sit with your legs crossed, smile, and be tentative. But when you are young and have a very short attention span, most of those teachings disappear from your mind. Along with her body position, the little girl’s facial expression clearly illustrates an extreme case of ennui. Some of the best works of art pose questions to the viewer. “Little Girl in a Blue Armchair” does just that. She could appear bored, but she could also be tired from playing outside or annoyed because her parents put her on a time-out. 

To reiterate that girlhood knows no bounds of time, “It’s A Girl’s World” by Catie Cook illustrates the modern girlhood you are likely familiar with. In a collage/scrapbook style, Cook captures the encapsulating elements of what it’s like to be a young woman in 2024. Contrary to the previously discussed paintings, “It’s A Girl’s World” has personal details that embody Cook’s girlhood experience. Her take on girlhood completely solidifies the universal feeling of being a girl. This mixed media piece combines general elements of femininity like pink bows and personal touches like the portrait of her parent’s wedding, all of which made her into who she is today. Cook describes these symbols in her Instagram post, saying, “each symbol is in some way intended to represent the female experience.” 

Cook’s inclusion of John Everett Millais’ “Ophelia” symbolizes the drama often associated with being a girl—especially a teenage girl. She created “It’s A Girl’s World” not just to capture girlhood as an idea or a trendy phrase but to define it in her own words and memories while simultaneously creating a relatable experience for the viewer.

Although girlhood may seem like a trendy topic or phrase on social media, it is, and forever will be, a universal phenomenon over which millions of people can bond. We have seen girlhood illustrated in art from hundreds of years ago to today. From Webkinz to Barbies to spending hours chatting with your girlfriends to grabbing drinks with a best friend, girlhood is a precious and timeless experience that is often hard to describe but so easily captured through art. 

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