Chapter 93: Women's Leadership in the Fine Arts

Wendy Slatkin

Women's leadership in the fine arts Since the 1970s art historians have documented the activities of women in the fine arts, which for the purposes of this chapter designates the fields of painting and sculpture. Individual women who pursued professional careers since the 16th century have been examined and interpreted by scholars with rigorous intellectual precision. Artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi (Italy), Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun (France), and Rosa Bonheur (France) have been studied intensively, and an impressive body of literature has emerged that expands our knowledge and understanding of these creative geniuses of the past. While it is undeniable that certain outstanding women artists did manage to conduct successful public careers and influence other artists, it would not be accurate to refer to the role of women artists in the context of leadership prior to the 1970s. The vast majority of women artists worked under discriminatory conditions, isolated from each other, ...

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