Art is the Solution

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 ...

Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets Source: Wikimedia Commons There are few artists of the modern age who are more famous than Édouard Manet; he was one of the best-known artists of the French impressionist movement, an artistic style that has captivated audiences for more than one hundred years. Although Manet knew most of the most prominent artists of the Impressionist movement, he had a special relationship with Impressionist Berthe Morisot, whom he met in 1868. The two quickly developed a friendship, and, when Morisot married Manet's brother six years later, they became family. The two artists influenced and inspired each other, which led to Manet painting Morisot several times throughout his career. One of these portraits of Morisot, entitled Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets , has become particularly famous, with some critics even labeling it his finest painting. This painting depicts Morisot in a black mourning dress and hat; she holds a bunch of violets that are...

Julie Daydreaming Source: WikiArt 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. While her work varies widely, one of her favorite subjects was her only child: Julie Manet. Julie Daydreaming is perhaps her most famous painting of her daughter; it depicts a sixteen year old Manet gazing wistfully at the viewer. Her expression is thoughtful; Manet is clearly lost in her own world, daydreaming as the title suggests. On aesthetic merits alone, Julie Daydreaming is a beautiful painting. It is a charming piece that inexorably draws the eye. It is beautifully executed, a wonderful example of Morisot’s artistic skill. While the painting captures Manet’s face,...