It’s not a secret anymore that societal norms have worked against women for much of history, restricting them from pursuing careers. Historically, women have been reduced to caretakers of home and family, restricted from not pursuing their dreams and wishes outside of the domestic sphere. The art field is no exception; until recently, women artists have been largely underrepresented and unsupported. Women creatives have been denied access to formal training and academies, and their work repeatedly dismissed, or worse, attributed to male artists.
On a more positive note, we’re going to talk about the female artists who have not only overcome these social challenges but left a resounding mark on art history. We should celebrate them for their fearlessness, perseverance, and fathomless courage to speak loud enough (metaphorically) for the world to hear them. It wasn’t gender privilege or mischievous schemes that emancipated them; they stayed true to themselves and their creativity, showing an immense commitment to their craft, and ultimately receiving the respect and appreciation they truly deserved.
Artemisia Gentileschi
Artemisia Gentileschi was one of the first women who managed to achieve success in the seventeenth century, and she gained popularity because of the realism she soaked her paintings in, leaving behind a legacy of timeless masterpieces such as Judith Beheading Holofernes, Venus and Cupid, Susanna and the Elders, and Danae. Not only did she use her position as an artist to place women and their stories at the center of all her pictures, but she made sure that almost all of her paintings expressed the oppression women had to live within a male-dominated world.
Her life story was far from being painted in pink shades, as she lost her mother when she was only 12 years old, and at the young age of 17, when a girl would normally live her best life, she had the misfortune to be a rape victim, which significantly altered the course of her life. She turned her trauma into art, using rage and sadness as sharp brushes that have metamorphosed her paintings into healing canvas.
Suzanne Valadon
Suzanne Valadon was a female artist in the 1800s – a rarity, as women rarely had the autonomy or freedom to pursue any form of craft or career outside their family roles. Although she came from poverty and couldn’t afford formal art classes, she transformed the genre of the female nude, empowering women to look, analyze, and be affected by pictures of other women only through their own gaze, apart from what men see when looking at it. She addressed the following two questions, which she believed all female artists should face before involving themselves in the art of nude painting:
- What does it mean to see the world from a woman’s point of view?
- How do women materialize in the images made by women?
She wanted to switch the artistic approach of women, as throughout history, females were carefully portrayed, far from any imperfection that would fail to catch men’s eyes. Suzanne Valadon couldn’t agree with the ongoing ideology of beauty and the perfect body, acknowledging its intangibility and disastrous consequences on the perception of young females. In her paintings, she inhibited men’s voyeuristic pleasure, redefining the understanding of gender perception and depiction by challenging the cultural relationship between the subordination of femininity and the sprightliness of masculinity.
She knew a change needed to happen, and she would probably be so happy to see that our world is slightly healing. Women learn every day what self-love is, trying to fight the urge to have the bodies of Victoria’s Secret supermodels. They’re making significant efforts not to fall prey to the distorted reality promoted by social media and the unrealistic expectations men sometimes have. Moreover, men have changed, too. Besides those who look like Gargamel and are very sensitive when the topic of cellulite is under the spotlight, there are real gentlemen out there who know how to appreciate and respect women truly.
Furthermore, Suzanne Valadon, who fought incredibly hard to secure a place in the art industry, would love to see women now offered art scholarships and receive significant support in pursuing post-secondary education. Women in arts are no longer a taboo subject, as there are infinite museum rooms adorned with their marvelous works. Now, everybody has access to art, and people are learning to appreciate the wonders of visual storytelling every day. Moreover, people no longer have to travel the whole world to bring the splendor of artistic creation to their homes. You can buy fine art online and curate an entire museum of arts and crafts in your own home.
Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo defied the need to fit in, which was very common among stylish Hollywood blondes who struggled to look perfect just for the sake of men’s gaze. She consciously built her appearance in a way that violently disobeyed the general feminine look, as in her paintings, she would deliberately accentuate her unibrow and mustache, embracing and amplifying the interplay between femininity and masculinity. She turned her own image into a canvas for exploring identity, defiance, and duality.
She is remembered as a woman who broke all social conventions, classifying as a feminist icon and enigmatic painter, which later gained the appreciation and respect of many people. Madonna, one of the most influential figures in pop culture, confessed she loves Frida and her art, claiming she’s doing with her songs exactly what Frida has done with her paintings.
Many wondered how Frida Kahlo was fighting for women’s rights when she breathed her last next to a man who was unfaithful, arrogant, and problematic. But don’t we all, at some point, choose passion instead of peace?
Final Thoughts
In honor of the remarkable female artists mentioned above – and the countless others who fought against the constraints of their times – we express our deepest gratitude. Whether they sought to transform themselves or the world around them, their courage and perseverance have carved new paths for the present generations. Their legacy lives in every brushstroke, every canvas, and every voice that refuses to be silenced.
