Looking for suggestions re: women portrait artists
 

I am active with the Portrait Society of Atlanta. We are trying to plan a program for the upcoming year about historical women portrait artists. I would apprecieate any suggestions of not only names of accomplished women portrait artists from the past, but also sources of information about them. We will probably want to put together a slide presentation, along with a narrative, and will need good photos as well as biographical material. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Susan Kuban

A book called "The Obstacle Race" by Germaine Greer published in 1979 by Secker & Warburg may help you.

Susan,

I imagine it's much too late for this, but there's a book that looks interesting that I found on Amazon. Karin Wells has ordered it, so you might ask her for some input. Here's the book and a reader review:

A World of Our Own

"The surprise about this book is the number of quotes from women artists themselves, not just from the l9th and 20th century, but from earlier centuries too. In the l6th century Sophonisba Anguissola's father thanks Michaelangelo for helping improve his daughter's drawing. In the l7th century, Artemisia Gentileschi says "I will show my lord, what a woman artist can do." In the l8th century, Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun recalls her technique for making the most of the looks of the women she painted. The author shows how for 500 years women have made up a sigificant minority of the community of working artists. The book is lavishly illustrated with rarely seen images of women artists at work and of the paintings and sculptures they produced. This book would make a wonderful present!"

Also, if there's a library that has back issues of American Art Review magazine, they often feature women artists that are wonderful and often sorely neglected over the years.

Indeed, "A World of Our Own" is a wonderful book and I definitely recommend it!

Please don't forget to include portrait painter Elizabeth Vigee-LeBrun (1755-1842). She personally knew the crowned heads of Europe and Russia. After her escape from the French Revolution, Vigee-LeBrun survived by her wit and her skill with a paintbrush. Her memoirs are a very good read, even a non-painter would enjoy them. :sunnysmil

There are many women artists in the art history, more than any contemporary art critic could suppose.

As far as I know, single most important woman painter (prior to 20th century) was Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1652). She had been exposed to art at an early age and it was her father (a well-known Roman artist, Orazio Gentileschi) who provided and supported her artistic development. Orazio was a friend and admirer of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, and Artemisia eventually became one of the most accomplished followers of that great baroque painter (in the history of art his followers are known as "Carravagisti").

Sofonisba Anguissola was born sixty years before Artemisia (c.1535-1625). She became a celebrated portrait painter at the court of Philip II of Spain. Sofonisba was some kind of "international celebrity" of her time, who had been praised by Michelangelo and lionized by painters across Europe.

In the following centuries there were more than a few important women artists, especially in 19th century which "spawned" many women watercolourists, oil painters, illustrators, miniaturists and large scale artists, portraitists, Pre-Raphaelite followers, symbolists, botanical and animal painters, genre and landscape artists...often of high calibre.

Some of them would certainly have became Academicians except for the disqualification of their gender (Margaret Carpenter or Florinda Shaples, to mention just a two).

Among most prominent women artists of that time, in my opinion, were Botticelli influenced Evelyn De Morgan, remarkable colourist Kate Elizabeth Bounce, versatile painters Mrs. Sophie Anderson and Anna Lea Merritt, poetic watercolourist Hellen Allingham and particulary Marie Stillman (whose works reflect her love of the frescos of Ghirlandaio and Benozzo Gozzoli as well as strong influence of D. G. Rossetti).

French paintress Rosa Bonheur was awarded the cross of the Legion d'Honneur, conferred on her by Empress Eugenie, who declared that "genius has no sex". Her example, particulary her ability to work on a heroic scale, provided inspiration for Elizabeth Thompson, better known by her married name, Lady Butler. Throughout her studies she was guided by a determination to became a military (!) painter. She had a little competition in Britain, for in contrast to France, there was no great tradition of military painters such as for instance, Horace Vernet.

Both Bonheur and Thompson surpassed any male competition in their chosen genres, which they practised with great authority.

(I listed here only western ladies, though there were women artists elsewhere, of course...)

Susan;

I should have mentioned that Waldine Tauch was a wonderful sculptress. She was the famous Italian-American Sculptor Pompeo Coppini's protege and foster daughter.

Daniel

Three women come to mind for me...

Ceclia Beaux...I just saw the Henry Drinkard portrait near some other great portraits including a Sargent and it (the Beaux) looked majestic! Really loose and strong brushwork...I loved it!

Bettina Steinke...Also loose and strong, we only recently lost her. Another of my heroes.

Rosa Bonheur...her cattle, horse and sheep paintings should count as portraits! I can't even figure how she stretched the canvases!!