Celebrating Women Artists

“What is important is that women face up to the reality of their history and of their present situation, without making excuses or puffing mediocrity. Disadvantage may indeed be an excuse; it is not, however, an intellectual position. Rather, using as a vantage point their situation as underdogs in the realm of grandeur, and outsiders in that of ideology, women can reveal institutional and intellectual weaknesses in general, and, at the same time that they destroy false consciousness, take part in the creation of institutions in which clear thought–and true greatness–are challenges open to anyone, man or woman, courageous enough to take the necessary risk, the leap into the unknown.” - Linda Nochlin, Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists

Bunny bunny foot foot! March, Women’s History Month, has come to a close. Everyday for the month of March I shared a brief summary of a woman artist past or present on my Instagram account. Before March, I had only a weak connection to a few well known artists like Georgia O’Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, and Mary Cassatt. Now, my knowledge of the art world has expanded to include to so many more women, and I am excited to continue expanding my vision.

These are the women who now accompany me in my studio thanks to Women’s History Month.

Corita Kent (1918–1986)

Sally Mann (b. 1951)

Sofonisba Anguissola (1532-1625)

Annie Leibovitz (b. 1949)

Kara Walker (b. 1969)

Rebecca Morris (b. 1969)

The Guerilla Girls

Jay DeFeo (1929-1989)

Elisabet Ney (1833-1907)

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653)

Alma Thomas (1891-1978)

Mary Heilmann (b. 1940)

Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010)

Judy Chicago (b. 1939)

Amy Sherald (b. 1973)

Mary Swanzy (1882-1978)

Agnes Martin (1912-2004)

Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929)

Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899)

Julie Mehretu (b. 1970)

Hilma af Klint (1862-1944)

Mary Cassatt (1844-1926)

Friedl Dicker-Brandeis (1898-1944)

Mary Beth Edelson (b. 1933)

Paula Modersohn Becker (1876-1907)

Anni Albers (1899-1994)

Shara Hughes (b. 1981)

Elaine de Kooning (1918-1989)

Susan O’Malley (1976-2015)

Dorothy Hood (1918-2000)

If you don’t recognize any of these names, look them up! I enjoyed learning about each and every one of them. By sharing these artists, I did not mean to imply that their artwork was/is better than that of their male contemporaries. Rather, I wanted to recognize and celebrate them (also I really enjoyed some of their artwork). They were/are women who created art consistently and courageously, and they did that without society’s institutions supporting them. Perhaps I making them out to be martyrs.

While reading Linda Nochlin’s essay Why Have There Been Been No Great Women Artists?, I was confronted by the somewhat gross realization of why I had initially became interested in pursuing art… I wanted to be seen as a genius…and a martyr. That makes me uncomfortable to think about. The myth of the “Artistic Genius” has a striking resemblance to Christian martyrdom. Think of Vincent Van Gogh. He created beautiful, mystical and emotional artworks while suffering from mental illness and seizures. It’s an intoxicating and romantic narrative. I idolized it.

That’s probably worth exploring later on. For now, this will do.

Did you recognize any/all of these artists? Who is your favorite?

Currently reading:

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos, Dominic Smith

Walk Through Walls: A Memoir , Marina Abramovic

Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?, Linda Nochlin

Broad Strokes, Bridget Quinn

Currently listening to:

The Perils of Following Your Career Passion, WorkLife with Adam Grant

Fabergé Eggs, The Art History Babes

A Museum Hires a Full-time Therapist, Hyperallergic

Judy Chicago's Monument to Women in History

I had my first encounter with The Dinner Party in 2011. I stumbled upon it while visiting the Brooklyn Museum with my Tisch classmates. I was mesmerized but nevertheless ran past it. I was in a rush to see everything and keep up with the group. I filed it away to research later… that research is happening now, nearly eight years later.

The Dinner Party is a massive ceremonial banquet arranged in the shape of an open triangle—a symbol of equality—measuring forty-eight feet on each side with a total of 39 place settings for the “guests of honor”.

The first wing of the dinner table begins with prehistoric figures like “Ishtar” and continues chronologically. The third wing makes it way all the way though the Women’s Revolution. The last place setting is for Georgia O’Keeffe.

Wing 1: From Prehistory to Rome

• Primordial Goddess

• Fertile Goddess

• Ishtar

• Kali

• Snake Goddess

• Sophia

• Amazon

• Hatshepsut

• Judith

• Sappho

• Aspasia

• Boadaceia

• Hypatia

Wing 2: From Christianity to the Reformation

• Marcella

• St. Bridget

• Theodora

• Hrosvitha

• Trotula

• Eleanor of Aquitaine

• Hildegarde of Bingen

• Petronilla de Meath

• Christine de Pisan

• Isabella d’Este

• Elizabeth R

• Artemesia Gentileschi

• Anna van Schurman

Wing 3: From the American Revolution to the Women’s Revolution

• Anne Hutchinson

• Sacajawea

• Caroline Herschel

• Mary Wollstonecraft

• Sojourner Truth

• Susan B. Anthony

• Elizabeth Blackwell

• Emily Dickinson

• Ethyl Smyth

• Margaret Sanger

• Natalie Barney

• Virginia Woolf

• Georgia O’Keeffe

Of the 39 women, I recognized only 15. I fixed that by reading about each woman I didn’t know. You can do the same on Brooklyn Museum’s website.

Of the 24 women I did not recognize, Sophia, Theodora and Mary Wollstonecraft were the most interesting.

Judy Chicago (American, b. 1939). The Dinner Party (Sophia place setting), 1974–79. Mixed media: ceramic, porcelain, textile. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation, 2002.10. © Judy Chicago. Photograph by Jook Leung Photography

Sophia was the mythical goddess of wisdom and the female counterpart to Jesus. She was one of the central figures of Gnosticism which dates back to ca. 180. In terms of mythical goddesses, I had only really identified with Athena. Now, I might choose Sophia.

Judy Chicago (American, b. 1939). The Dinner Party (Theodora place setting), 1974–79. Mixed media: ceramic, porcelain, textile. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation, 2002.10. © Judy Chicago. Photograph by Jook Leung Photography

Theodora (b. 500) was the empress of the Byzantine Empire. She ruled the empire equally with her husband Justinian I. I recognized Justinian, because he is famous for having codified roman law. He is also featured in the enchanting mosaics in the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. Apparently, Theodora was as well… but that wasn’t emphasized when I learned about (and visited!) the basilica. Having been born in the lower classes of Byzantium, Theodora fought for the persecuted and passed laws that expanded the rights of women and prostitutes. Admittedly… I often played as Theodora on the video game Civilization, yet I failed to learn more about her.

Judy Chicago (American, b. 1939). The Dinner Party (Mary Wollstonecraft place setting), 1974–79. Mixed media: ceramic, porcelain, textile. Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation, 2002.10. © Judy Chicago. Photograph by Jook Leung Photography

Jumping forward 1000+ years, Mary Wollstonecraft (b. 1759) wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. (If anyone knows why she used “woman” instead of the grammatically correct “women”, please share.) It is considered the earliest and most important treatise advocating for equal rights for women.

The Dinner Party recognizes more women in history by way of the “Heritage Floor”. The floor is made up of 2,300 hand-cast tiles and includes the names of 999 mythical and historical women. Someone (or likely a team of people) put together a list of the women included on the “Heritage Floor”. While I was tempted to continue learning about the women I had not heard of, I decided that I would have to do that at a later date since it would likely become a project in itself.

I’ve shared my experience learning about the women at the dinner table to highlight my own ignorance of women’s contributions to society. I was given a great education. Yet, I didn’t learn about these women. Yes, I could have righted this wrong by learning more on my own or by taking a class on Women’s Liberation or Feminism in college, but I think it’s ludicrous that we most go out of our way to learn about women’s contributions to history.

The Dinner Party is both a monument to women and an art piece. While the looks of it don’t particularly appeal to me aesthetically at times (the plates for example), I believe The Dinner Party is an incredible work and a great tribute to women’s history.

Currently reading:

How—and Why—’The Dinner Party’ Became the Most Famous Feminist Artwork of All Time, ArtNet, Sarah Cascone

How Emotions Are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett

Walk Through Walls: A Memoir by Marina Abramovic

Just My Type: A Book About Fonts by Simon Garfield

Currently listening to:

No. 67: How Judy Chicago Pioneered the First Feminist Art Program, The Artsy Podcast

The Fifth Vital Sign, Invisibilia

Epis.# 238: Rainey Knudson, editor of Glasstire, on having a critical eye, the Houston (and Texas generally) art communities, and more (part 1 of 2), The Conversation Art Podcast

The Family That Profited From the Opioid Crisis, The Daily

Strong and Feminine in the 17th Century

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653) was the most renowned woman painter in Europe during the first half of the 17th century. She is recognized as a significant feminist figure because of her skill, resilience and empowering depictions of women. In her paintings, women are powerful Biblical heroines rather than temptresses.

Gentileschi had the opportunity to become a painter thanks to her father Orazio, a reputable painter in Rome. At the time of her career, women were not allowed to have apprenticeships with men, so she would not have had access to painting if not for her father. Orazio began training her at an early age.

Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria, ca. 1615-17

Artemisia Gentileschi

Oil on canvas

The National Gallery, London

Both father and daughter was heavily influenced by Caravaggio. Artemisia used chiaroscuro (bold contrasts of light and dark) and tenebrism (extremes of dominating darkness pierced by bright, insistent spotlights) in the majority of her work. These stylistic choices emphasized drama and created an element of theater.

Artemisia’s career and life was greatly influenced by a series of events that took place as she was just launching her career. At age 17, she was raped by artist Agostino Tassi. Her family and Tassi went to court for a seven-month trial. During the trial, she was publicly humiliated and forced to undergo sibille, a torturous lie detector test. While the Gentilesschis won the case, the events left a dark cloud over Artemisia’s career.

Susanna and the Elders, 1610

Artemisia Gentileschi

Oil on canvas

Susanna and the Elders (1610), an early work of Artemisia’s, depicts a biblical scene where two older men spy on Susanna while she is bathing and attempt to blackmail her into having sexual relations with them with false accusations of adultery. In other artists’ depictions of this scene, Susanna is either unaware or flirtatious. Artemisia, on the other hand, emphasizes Susanna’s distress and active response to the intruders.

Artemisia Gentileschi’s assertive and strong-feminine voice is most apparent in Judith and Holofernes (1620). The story of Judith is biblical and is similar to David and Goliath. Judith, a Jewish widow, kills the Assyrian general Holofernes to help save her village. In Artemisia’s depiction of the decapitation, Judith and her maidservant are muscular and strong. They work hand-in-hand to courageously and powerfully complete the task. They are remarkable to say the least. Blood is spurting everywhere, and the job is dirty. Holofernes looks vulnerable, weak and humiliated. The decapitation by Judith feels very much like a victory.

Judith and Holofernes, ca. 1620

Artemisia Gentileschi

Oil on canvas

78 3/10 × 64 in

Galleria degli Uffizi

Both Caravaggio and Artemisia’s father made similar paintings, yet their depictions of the scene contrast drastically with Artemisia’s. In Caravaggio’s work, Judith is uncertain and much less powerful. The maidservant is nearby but not in union with Judith. It doesn’t feel like a victory. Rather, it feels almost shameful. I feel sorry for everyone in this Caravaggio painting.

Judith Beheading Holofernes, ca. 1598-1599

Caravaggio

Oil on canvas

57 x 77 in

In Orazio’s depiction of the same narrative, the act of decapitation is taken out completely. The women look away from Holofernes’s head and present it as if they just happened to have come upon a decapitated head. They appear completely powerless and at the service to whomever they are presenting the head to. The painting also feel much less dramatic and soft thanks to the color choices and emphasis on linens.

Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes

Orazio

Oil on canvas

In addition to admiring her artwork, I admire Artemisia’s character! She had the confidence and will to stand up for her work. In letters written to Don Antonio Ruffo, Gentileschi condemns his bigotry, and asserts her skill and right to good pay:

I fear that before you saw the painting you must have thought me arrogant and presumptuous…. [I]f it were not for Your Most Illustrious Lordship… I would not have been induced to give it for one hundred and sixty, because everywhere else I have been I was paid one hundred scudi [Italian coins] per figure…. You think me pitiful, because a woman’s name raises doubts until her work is seen.

I was mortified to hear that you want to deduct one third from the already low price that I had asked… It must be that in your heart Your Most Illustrious Lordship finds little merit in me.

I am most inspired by Artemisia’s dare to be great. She painted women powerfully at time when that wasn’t done. She was a professional woman artist when that wasn’t done. She defended her work and herself when that wasn’t done. She did believed in herself, her artwork and her womanhood.

While the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston does not have any works by Artemisia Gentileschi, it does have a painting by her father which depicts Artemisia as a sibyl (a woman in ancient times supposed to utter the oracles and prophecies of a god).

Learn more

Artemisia: Her Passion Was Painting Above All Else, The New York Times

Artemisia’s Moment, Smithsonian Magazine

National Gallery buys Artemisia Gentileschi masterpiece for £3.6m , The Guardian

Artemisia Gentileschi, Art History Babes (podcast)

#5WomenArtists and my Sister Corita

“There are many great women artists. And we shouldn’t still be talking about why there are no great women artists. If there are no great, celebrated women artists, that’s because the powers that be have not been celebrating them, but not because they are not there.” - Joan Semmel

Can you name 5 women artists? That’s the question that the National Museum of Women in the Arts poses during Women’s History Month.

Okay, now actually ask yourself that question. Can you name 5 women artists?

Did you say Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keeffe? Who else? Leave your answers in the comments below.

You may have named 5 women artists and that is great! Or maybe you didn’t, okay. Let’s change that. This question’s purpose is to show that women’s achievements have either been ignored or inadequately honored. The art world/community has been particularly guilty of this. That is probably why you can name many more men artists than women artists. Some quick facts before moving on…

• Only 26% of the winners of the Turner Prize, one of the most well known visual art awards, have been women—though 6 women won since 2010. In 2017, Lubaina Himid became the first woman of color to win.

• From the 16–19th centuries, women were barred from studying the nude model, which formed the basis for academic training and representation. (Women, Art, and Society)

• A recent data survey of the permanent collections of 18 prominent art museums in the U.S. found that out of over 10,000 artists, 87% are male, and 85% are white. (Public Library of Science)

• On average, only 30% of artists represented by commercial galleries in the U.S. are women. In Australia, it’s about 40%; in China, 25%; in Hong Kong; 22%; and in Germany, less than 20%. 

• Women earn 70% of Bachelors of Fine Arts and 65–75% of Masters of Fine Arts in the U.S., though only 46% of working artists (across all arts disciplines) are women. 

• The top three museums in the world, the British Museum (est. 1753), the Louvre (est. 1793), and The Metropolitan Museum of Art (est. 1870) have never had female directors.

I experienced both the art world and the general community’s disregard for women artists by simply not being exposed to women artists until recently. Growing up, I was familiar with the work of Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Picasso, and Dali. And, I loved Vincent Van Gogh. I even dressed up as him in 6th grade. Yes, at some point, I was introduced to Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keeffe, but that was about it.

In high school, I pursued photography and left my paint brushes and pencils by the wayside. I felt more confident taking photographs. Women were included in photography’s history since its inception. I figured I had a better chance of sharing my voice if I was photographer. I had the work of Dorothea Lange, Imogen Cunningham, Diane Arbus, Cindy Sherman, Sally Mann, and Annie Leibovitz to keep me company.

The Guerrilla Girls, a group of women artists and arts professionals founded in the 1980s, fight discrimination in the art community.

The group reframes the question: “Why haven’t there been more great women artists throughout Western history?” Instead, they ask: “Why haven’t more women been considered great artists throughout Western history?”

This month, I will uncover and celebrate the work and lives of women artists both past and present. Join me each week on this blog or follow me for my daily posts on Instagram at @ereedlee.

Learn more about #5womenartists or take a pledge by visiting, the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

I will begin by diving into the work and life of Corita Kent.

To quickly introduce her, I will use The Corita Art Center’s summary.

Corita Kent (1918–1986) was an artist, educator, and advocate for social justice. At age 18 she entered the religious order Immaculate Heart of Mary, eventually teaching in and then heading up the art department at Immaculate Heart College. Her work evolved from figurative and religious to incorporating advertising images and slogans, popular song lyrics, biblical verses, and literature. Throughout the ‘60s, her work became increasingly political, urging viewers to consider poverty, racism, and injustice. In 1968 she left the order and moved to Boston. After 1970, her work evolved into a sparser, introspective style, influenced by living in a new environment, a secular life, and her battles with cancer. She remained active in social causes until her death in 1986. At the time of her death, she had created almost 800 serigraph editions, thousands of watercolors, and innumerable public and private commissions.

Some keywords: She was a printmaker, a nun, and a teacher. She did the majority of her work in LA and Boston. She was a contemporary of Andy Warhol. Oh, by the by, a serigraph is the fine art way of referring to a silkscreen. Silkscreens were associated with commercial art and advertising, so Carl Zigrosser coined the term to improve the practice’s reception. Since most screens are no longer made from silk, the process is often referred to as screenprinting today.

I started Women’s History Month with Corita Kent, because I was most awestruck to have not her of her until recently. As a pop artist who incorporated positive messages in her work and a nun, it seems ridiculous that her life and her work were never shared with me in the Catholic school I attended. WHY DID I ONLY FIND OUT ABOUT HER BY WAY OF A RANDOM PODCAST?

Corita Kent

succeeding

1979

Serigraph

She would have been a great source of inspiration and hope. I was a very religious and spiritual kid. At one point, I wanted be a nun. I wanted to be like Sister Maria in The Sound of Music. Eventually, I lost faith in Catholicism and associated Catholicism with rigidity and self-hatred. Looking at back it now, however, I believe much of what had become Catholicism for me was caused by my experience of it. How it was taught and how I interpreted it. Corita Kent’s experience and interpretation were very different from my own.

Corita Kent

god made the world

1957

Serigraph

Her work was uplifting in subject and color. She brought the spiritual to everyday symbols. The G in General Mills no longer stood for “Goodness” but rather “God”. Kent's work was also democratic. Prints could be purchased by the everyday person.

Corita Kent

only speak of hope

1965

Serigraph

She was an incredible teacher. She taught students the fine art of looking. She gave students grand assignments that both challenged and invigorated their creative spirits. An assignment might be to create fifteen giant banners by the end of the week or come back tomorrow with five hundred questions about the Eames film you have just watched. She sounds like my teacher Charlotte Cosgrove at the Glassell Studio School.

Immaculate Heart College Art Department Rules, lettered with hand-carved stamps by calligrapher and former Corita student, David Mekelburg

As her work revolved more around social justice and her art practice became more demanding in the late 1960’s, she decided to leave the religious order at age 50.

There is much more to Corita and her work, so please continue to learn by clicking the links below.

See more

The Corita Art Center

Read more

Corita Kent: Nun with a Pop Art Habit, Harvard Magazine

Corita Kent and the Language of Pop, Susan Dackerman

How to Free Your Creative Spirit, According to Sister Corita Kent, Artsy

Listen more

A Nun Inspired By Warhol: The Forgotten Pop Art Of Sister Corita Kent, All Things Considered, NPR

Corita Kent: Patron Saint of Pop Art, The Art History Babes

Watch more

“The artist is never alone, in that everyone else is going through the same process—each with her own unique sound. So we are really all in it together, and there are no people who are not artists.” - Corita Kent, 1979