“Francien Krieg is painting me. Naked! A nude painting of an elderly woman with a slightly battered body.”

Letty Groenewoud, a model for Francien Krieg, expressed these words to her family and friends. Some of whom were supportive, and thought it was a great idea, whereas others were shocked. Why would anyone want to see pictures of a naked older woman?

Any woman who has grown up in the UK, and other western societies, knows about the pressure we experience to have a certain ‘look’, a certain body shape and size. 

The societal idea of female beauty has for decades centred the slim, smooth skinned, able bodied, young woman. There is no place for fatness, wrinkles, skin marks, or any signs of being older or disabled.

This is why I appreciate the work of artists who face this challenge head-on. Who battle the misconceptions of ageing, especially for women, and celebrate their beauty, skin marks and all.

Let me introduce you to the work of Francien Krieg. Francien is a Dutch painter who, as she describes on her website “made a name for herself painting older naked women”.

Francien’s work tackles traditional standards of beauty by portraying older women “in their natural state, without the artificial enhancements commonly found in the media”. And the result is amazing.

There is a vulnerability as the women’s bodies are exposed, naked, raw, for all to observe. The images invite us not only to look, but to see. To cast our eyes on what is normally hidden, out of sight.

I ask you to take a look at Francien’s work. A close look. See the lines on the models’ skin, from stretch marks, sagging, and red veins close to the surface. See the expressions on their faces. See the beauty in their pose. 

The images bring compassion and awareness to what often goes unspoken. They are part of the narrative that asks us to appreciate older age for all that it brings. The narrative that wants us all to have a better older age. 

To view more of these wonderful images, and read about the influences upon Francien’s work, check out Francien’s website.