Great Women Painters

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Pictured: Works by Ellen Gallagher at the Kunstforum Palais Populaire in Berlin, Germany on Sept. 27, 2018.] It is incredibly important to not only recognize the contributions of women in art, but to also appreciate and analyze the works that continue to inspire and lead a new generation of artists. From abstract expressionists to feminist artists, below is a selection of female artists from art history, who have created many unique and influential artworks, yet have not received as much credit as they ought to. You may be surprised by a few of these names, who due to historical literary negligence and toxic patriarchy, have not been included among the ranks of master artists. American painter Mary Cassatt spent her adult life in France, where she became an integral part of the Impressionism movement. Cassatt was born into an affluent family who first protested against her desire to become an artist. She eventually left art school after being frustrated by the separate treatment that the female students received—they couldn't use live models and were left drawing from casts. Painting of Rosa Bonheur by Anna Elizabeth Klumpke, 1898; Anna Elizabeth Klumpke, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons We] believe every damn day is worthy of celebrating great women, and Great Women Artists makes it easy ... If only all our college art history textbooks were this much fun.' – Interview Magazine

Leonora Carrington was encouraged by her mother to pursue art from a young age. She studied at the Chelsea School of Art before meeting Max Ernst. Together they fled Nazi-occupied France for New York City during World War II. Frida Kahlo was perhaps the most famous portraiture artist of the 20th century, who used her own image to explore notions of gender, class, race, identity, and post-Colonialism in Mexico. Abstract Expressionism, Modern art, Abstract art, collage, portraiture, assemblage, mosaic art, and CubismBerthe Morisot grew up surrounded by art with her sister. However, their father discouraged them from pursuing careers as painters because it was considered inappropriate for women then. Despite this, both sisters continued to paint privately with guidance from established artists. Catherina Van Hemessen’s father, Jan Sanders, recognized his daughter’s talent and encouraged her artistic pursuits from a young age. Despite facing gender-based discrimination throughout her career, Van Hemessen continued painting until her death.

Notable characteristics/subject matter: Genre paintings, portraits of musicians and singers, use of chiaroscuro Pictured: Art work by Betye Saar is displayed at the Take A Stand Center at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center on Oct. 26, 2017, in Skokie, Illinois.] Hilma af Klint was influenced by theosophy, Rosicrucianism, and other esoteric teachings. Throughout her art career, she remained largely independent of any specific art movement or group.Notable characteristics/subject matter: Surrealist art with fantastical and mythical elements and incorporated feminist themes A figurehead of the Op Art movement, Bridget Riley has made some of the best-known optical illusion paintings in existence today. Her work combines clean lines, geometric precision, and color theory to create canvases and murals that attract, soothe, and confuse the viewer’s eye. Now in her 90s, Riley resides in London, where she enjoys semi-retirement.

Some of her notable pieces include Everyone I Ever Slept With (1995, and I Promise To Love You, an installation of neon signs in Time Square in February of 2013 showed a maturing and an easing of the defiance of earlier work. After attending the State University of New York at Buffalo, Sherman moved to New York in 1976 to pursue a career in photography. Shortly after arriving, she began working on Untitled Film Stills (1977-80), her now-iconic series in which she appears in an array of guises and settings, portraying female stereotypes found within film and the media including the unhappy housewife, the jilted lover, and the vulnerable naif. Since then, she’s continued to transform into a variety of characters, forcing her audience to confront other common stereotypes and their artificiality. Adélaïde Labille-Guiard (French, 1749–1803). Self-Portrait with Two Pupils, Marie Gabrielle Capet (1761–1818) and Marie Marguerite Carreaux de Rosemond (died 1788), 1785. Oil on canvas, 83 × 59 ½ in. (210.8 × 151.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Julia A. Berwind, 1953 (53.225.5)

Soon after the two split, Carrington was hospitalized with a mental breakdown and treated with powerful drugs. After her release, she fled to Mexico, where she became deeply inspired by local folklore, which factored heavily into her work. Her highly autobiographical paintings feature references to sorcery, metamorphosis, and the occult, depicting fantastical creatures and haunting scenes. During the '70s, she became involved in the Women’s Liberation Movement and designed a poster, titled Mujeres Conciencia, for the cause in 1973. In 1986, she won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Women's Caucus for Art convention in New York for her commitment to her political work.

Despite her talent, Anguissola faced challenges as a female artist during the Renaissance period. For example, she needed help studying anatomy or drawing from live models, which is essential for creating realistic figures in a painting. However, she persevered and continued to create artworks that gained recognition throughout Europe. 14. Louise Bourgeois But before we jump to our list, let’s answer the question everyone’s thinking—where are all the women artists?While it’s easy to find examples of great male artists throughout history, female artists remain largely absent from the conversation. In fact, less than fifteen percent of the artists in the world’s top museums are women, according to a study by Artnet News. Fauvism, Cubism, traditional Ukrainian embroidery, and folk art heavily influenced Delaunay’s work. She also worked in fashion design, creating textiles with bold patterns that reflected her artistic style. In addition, she helped organize the Salon des Indépendants and co-founded the magazine “Simultané,” which showcased artists like Pablo Picasso and Wassily Kandinsky. 20. Bridget Riley As she got older, Ellenreider began to paint religious art almost exclusively. Among her most famous works include paintings at the such as the St. Stephan Church in Karlsruhe and an altarpiece at the St. Bartholomew Church in Offenburg. Her focal points of interest in art history encompass profiling specific artists and art movements, as it is these areas where she is able to really dig deep into the rich narrative of the art world. Additionally, she particularly enjoys exploring the different artistic styles of the 20 th century, as well as the important impact that female artists have had on the development of art history.Self-portrait at the easel (1556) by Sofonisba Anguissola; Sofonisba Anguissola, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons From the 16th to the 19th centuries, the life-drawing of the nude was the basis of all artistic training, yet women were not allowed to study nudes for reasons of morality. As a result, aspiring female artists were denied the opportunity to hone the single most important skill necessary to conceive significant works of art. Instead, they had to rely on second-hand sources such as plaster casts or drawings by their male peers. In 1982, at the age of 70, Bourgeois was finally given her moment to shine when The Museum of Modern Art exhibited a retrospective of her work, which featured contorted human-like figures suspended from wires; fabric creations made from her old clothes; and enormous spider sculptures, which she is best remembered for today.