Five (More) Female Artists You Should Know
A few months ago, I wrote a blog post entitled “Five Female Artists You Should Know.” I enjoyed writing the post, but it didn’t give me nearly enough space to talk about all the female artists I wanted to mention. So, today, I’m going to give you five more!
The world of art is vast and varied. However, in almost every culture around the world, female artists have been undervalued or dismissed at some point in history. That being said, female artists have persisted in creating amazing art throughout the ages, and we’re going to continue discussing that today.
Lavinia Fontana - Lavinia Fontana was one of great Italian mannerists of the sixteenth century and also happens to be one of the first Western, female artists with a well-documented career (there, of course, were many female artists before the sixteenth century, but their work was often anonymous or misattributed). She was (and is) quite famous in her home city of Bologna and was much in demand as a portrait artist as well as a painter of religious subjects. She is also notable for being married and having a family (including eleven children!), which is by no means common among female artists in the early modern period. In fact, her husband was her manager. Fontana’s work demonstrates incredible skill and, more importantly, an emotional intelligence that allowed her to create paintings that had a psychological impact on viewers.
Judith Leyster - Judith Leyster was one of the most famous female artists of the Dutch golden age, known for her genre scenes depicting day-to-day domestic life. However, for many years, art historians misattributed Leyster’s paintings to her contemporary Frans Hals, a well-known artist in his own right. Fortunately, Leyster has since been recognized for her incisive paintings of everyday life and her expressive style, and she has taken her place among the great Dutch painters of the seventeenth century.
Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun - These days, Élisabeth Louise Vigée-Le Brun is most famous for being one of Marie Antoinette’s most favorite court artists. Her paintings of French royalty are well-known, and they made her one of the most successful female artists of her age. (Although, her exile after the French revolution put a slight damper on her career). However, she was also a rather revolutionary and bold artist. In fact, When Vigée-Le Brun presented her self-portrait with her daughter to the Paris Salon, it caused a scandal. However, her most important innovation is probably the psychological realism presented in her paintings; there is a sense of personality in her paintings that continues to engage modern viewers.
Berthe Morisot - Among the great impressionist artists of the nineteenth century, there are few that are as undervalued and under-appreciated as Berthe Morisot. Morisot’s work was highly esteemed by other artists of her time—including famous painters like Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas,Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Claude Monet—however her paintings were largely ignored by art historians until recently. She tended to paint scenes of everyday life, focusing in particular on portraits, domestic scenes, and paintings of women and children. Her family was one of her favorite subjects, and she is particularly famous for the many paintings of her daughter, Julie Manet, that she produced. Her style is brushy and expressive, making her paintings particularly appealing to viewers.
Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.
The world of art is vast and varied. However, in almost every culture around the world, female artists have been undervalued or dismissed at some point in history. That being said, female artists have persisted in creating amazing art throughout the ages, and we’re going to continue discussing that today.
Lavinia Fontana - Lavinia Fontana was one of great Italian mannerists of the sixteenth century and also happens to be one of the first Western, female artists with a well-documented career (there, of course, were many female artists before the sixteenth century, but their work was often anonymous or misattributed). She was (and is) quite famous in her home city of Bologna and was much in demand as a portrait artist as well as a painter of religious subjects. She is also notable for being married and having a family (including eleven children!), which is by no means common among female artists in the early modern period. In fact, her husband was her manager. Fontana’s work demonstrates incredible skill and, more importantly, an emotional intelligence that allowed her to create paintings that had a psychological impact on viewers.
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| Bianca degli Utili Maselli and six of her children by Lavinia Fontana Source: Wikimedia Commons |
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| Self-portrait at the Clavichord with a Servant by Lavinia Fontana Source: Wikimedia Commons |
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Noli me Tangere by Lavinia Fontana Source: Arthive.com |
Judith Leyster - Judith Leyster was one of the most famous female artists of the Dutch golden age, known for her genre scenes depicting day-to-day domestic life. However, for many years, art historians misattributed Leyster’s paintings to her contemporary Frans Hals, a well-known artist in his own right. Fortunately, Leyster has since been recognized for her incisive paintings of everyday life and her expressive style, and she has taken her place among the great Dutch painters of the seventeenth century.
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Self-Portrait by Judith Leyster Source: Wikimedia Commons |
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The Proposition by Judith Leyster Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun - These days, Élisabeth Louise Vigée-Le Brun is most famous for being one of Marie Antoinette’s most favorite court artists. Her paintings of French royalty are well-known, and they made her one of the most successful female artists of her age. (Although, her exile after the French revolution put a slight damper on her career). However, she was also a rather revolutionary and bold artist. In fact, When Vigée-Le Brun presented her self-portrait with her daughter to the Paris Salon, it caused a scandal. However, her most important innovation is probably the psychological realism presented in her paintings; there is a sense of personality in her paintings that continues to engage modern viewers.
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Self-Portrait with her Daughter, Julie by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun Source: Wikimedia Commons |
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Marie Antoinette and her Children by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Berthe Morisot - Among the great impressionist artists of the nineteenth century, there are few that are as undervalued and under-appreciated as Berthe Morisot. Morisot’s work was highly esteemed by other artists of her time—including famous painters like Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas,Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Claude Monet—however her paintings were largely ignored by art historians until recently. She tended to paint scenes of everyday life, focusing in particular on portraits, domestic scenes, and paintings of women and children. Her family was one of her favorite subjects, and she is particularly famous for the many paintings of her daughter, Julie Manet, that she produced. Her style is brushy and expressive, making her paintings particularly appealing to viewers.
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Julie Manet and her Greyhound Laerte by Berthe Morisot Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Lady at her Toilette by Berthe Morisot
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Georgia O'Keeffe - There are few twentieth century artists more famous than Georgia O'Keeffe, especially in America. Today, O'Keeffe is best-known for her paintings of flowers, which she portrays in exquisite, close-up detail. These flowers were part of O'Keeffe’s journey with self-expression through abstraction. O'Keeffe was one of the first American artists to experiment with abstraction, which she first encountered while studying at the Art Students League in New York. Throughout the early years of her career, O'Keeffe worked to develop a unique visual language that allowed her to express her ideas and point of view. While abstraction usually functions by using lines and shapes to delve into the subconscious mind or the spiritual realm, O'Keeffe approached abstraction through exploration of the natural world, which, in turn, allowed her to express thoughts.
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| Jimson Weed/White Flower by Georgia O'Keeffe Source: The Guardian |
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| Abstraction Blue by Georgia O'Keeffe Source: Museum of Modern Art |
Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.
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