WOMEN ARTISTS: Artemisia Gentileschi to Tracey Emin

Until the 1970s an Art History student could well believe there were no women artists in the entire history of Western Art. None appeared in key texts H.W. Janson's The History of Art (1963) nor Ernst Gombrich's The Story of Art (original ed. 1950). Is this because there were none?

Feminist Art Historians attempted to rewrite the 'canon' of great masters. It was not an easy task! Where was the evidence? Where were the art works? Did they even utilize techniques, or depict subjects, acceptable as Fine Art?

How did women artists access training, studios, patrons or exhibiting venues?

Research over the past few decades has changed the subject of Art History and the Art we see in galleries and museums.

This study day will discover Old Mistresses and look at contemporary women artists: from Artemisia Gentileschi to Tracey Emin.