Women artists on Art UK: a thousand possibilities to discover
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Loading... - Auja Brunner
- 16 Mar 2023
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It is undeniably true to say that women artists have been overlooked throughout history. We largely know the reasons and they make uncompelling and uncomfortable reading – sexism, misogyny, and the dominance of men's power in the patriarchal societies in which many women lived. Women artists have had specific challenges too – the sheer technical knowhow required to create art means that historically artists would have to study for years. And these opportunities were frequently just not available to women.
Whether it's learning how to be a good draughtsman (impossible to escape the inherent sexism in the name), how to draw the nude form from life, or even how to mix paints, these skills demanded some level of tuition – tuition that was denied to all but a few women, often those wealthy enough to support themselves, or those who had another artist in the family.
Even when an artist was able to gain a decent artistic education, often women artists were expected to concentrate on flower paintings or scenes of domestic life. 'Serious' subjects were again reserved for male artists to interpret. Read More..
