TIME Creates 100 Covers for Groundbreaking Women of the Year Project

Princess Diana TIME Cover

Princess Diana, 1987 (Artwork: Yulia Brodskaya for TIME)

In a stunning homage to the great women of history, TIME has created 100 covers to celebrate Women of the Year from 1920 to today. Inspired by the magazine's Person of the Year, which until 1999 was “Man of the Year,” TIME has selected a magnificent array of women who have made a difference in the world. From politicians to activists, from athletes to artists, each woman is a trailblazer. As part of this historic project, TIME has also commissioned 49 portraits from artists around the globe.

These creatives, half of them women, were charged with producing an iconic representation of a powerful woman. For the 1987 cover, celebrated artist Yulia Brodskaya used her paper quilling skills to capture the spirit of Princess Diana. In contrast, New York-based artist Toyin Ojih Odutola acclaimed drawing abilities brought to life Beyoncé, who was named the 2014 Woman of the Year, in a joyous portrait.

“I hoped to express and retain the joy and wonder in her, the magnitude of her influence, and to illustrate how she did then as she continues to do so now: by inspiring us all to follow our creative inclinations yet never lose sight of ourselves,” Ojih Odutola shared.

From a collage of LGBTQ activist Marsha P. Johnson to oil paintings of Jackie Kennedy and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a wide variety of techniques were used to help artists express their vision of these iconic women. These special portraits sit alongside 51 other covers that both remind us of the important contributions women have made to society and encourage us to dig deeper into who these women are.

“For me, seeing women on the cover of a magazine created by men for ‘busy men,’ as TIME’s founders wrote in their original prospectus, is always powerful,” writes TIME Executive Editor and Women of the Year Editorial Director Kelly Conniff. “I joined TIME in 2012, when over the course of a year just a handful of women were featured on the cover. In 2019, TIME featured more solo women on its cover than men for the first time in our 97-year history. The world has changed and TIME has too, but there have always been women worthy of TIME’s cover.”

All 100 covers are available to view, along with essays about each woman, on the 100 Women of the Year website. A special print edition of TIME featuring a gatefold of all 100 covers is also for sale, as are prints of the 49 commissioned portraits.

TIME commissioned portraits of trailblazing women for their 100 Women of the Year project.

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (2014)

Beyonce TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Toyin Ojih Odutola for TIME

 

Jackie Kennedy (1962)

Jackie Kennedy TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Shana Wilson for TIME

 

Aung San Suu Kyi (1990)

TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Tracie Ching for TIME

 

Oprah Winfrey (2004)

Oprah Winfrey TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Amanda Lenz for TIME

 

The Bus Riders (1955)

TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Lavett Ballard for TIME

 

Tu Youyou (1979)

Tu Youyou TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Bijou Karman for TIME

 

Grace Hopper (1959)

Grace Hopper TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Marc Burckhardt for TIME

 

Marsha P. Johnson (1969)

Marsha Johnson TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Mickalene Thomas for TIME

 

Coco Chanel (1924)

Coco Chanel TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Kelly Hu for TIME

 

Ruth Bader-Ginsburg (1996)

Ruth Bader Ginsberg TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Shana Wilson for TIME

 

Toni Morrison (1993)

Toni Morrison TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Tim Okamura for TIME

 

Wangari Maathai (2001)

Wangari Maathai TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Bisa Butler for TIME

 

Anna Walentynowicz (1980)

Anna Walentynowicz TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Agata Nowicka for TIME

 

Rosalind Franklin (1953)

Rosalind Franklin TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Jody Hewgill for TIME

 

Jane Roe (1973)

Jane Roe TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Joe Magee for TIME

 

Jane Fawcett and the Codebreakers (1941)

TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Mark Summers for TIME

 

Barbara Gittings (1964)

Barbara Gittings TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Ivana Besevic for TIME

 

Black Lives Matter Founders (2013)

TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Molly Crabapple for TIME

 

Indira Gandhi (1976)

Indira Gandhi TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Mercedes DeBellard for TIME

 

bell hooks (1984)

TIME Magazine - 100 Women of the Year

Artwork: Monica Ahanonu for TIME

TIME: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by TIME.

Related Articles:

50 Inspirational Quotes by Powerful Women in History

10 Famous Female Painters Every Art Lover Should Know

9 Bold & Powerful Women Who Shaped the Art World

10 Inspiring Books to Celebrate Remarkable Women for Women’s History Month

Photographer Captures Intimate Portraits of Trailblazing Women All on an iPhone

Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Contributing Writer and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book 'Street Art Stories Roma' and most recently contributed to 'Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini'. You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
Become a
My Modern Met Member
As a member, you'll join us in our effort to support the arts.

Sponsored Content