Women Artists An Illustrated History – Review
Art of Vigée-Lebrun, Elizabeth Butler, Margareta Haverman and Others
May 17, 2009
Women Artists An Illustrated History (Abbeville Press Ltd., 2003), is a survey of American and European female artists from the 16th Century to the present day. This is the fourth edition of this publication, bringing it into the 21st Century. Nancy G. Heller's fascinating, easy to read text is supported by more than 220 illustrations, 160 of which are in full colour.
Women Artists An Illustrated History – About the Book
Five centuries of European and American women sculptors and painters are examined including Marie-Louise-Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, Lady Elizabeth Butler and Margareta Haverman.
The author examines the artworks in great detail. She tells the stories behind some of these women and investigates the problems they had to overcome, such as restricted access to education, lack of apprenticeships, few opportunities to exhibit, and, of course, the social insistence that women should marry and raise children.
Marie-Louise-Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun – Escaped the Guillotine
The stories behind many women artists are explored in detail. For example, Heller tells us about the French court portraitist, Marie-Louise-Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun (1755-1842). When Marie-Antoinette was arrested, the artist was forced to flee France to escape the guillotine!
Lady Elizabeth Butler – Lasting Fame and Fortune
Heller also relates the story of Lady Elizabeth Butler (1850-1933) renowned for enormous battle scenes. Queen Victoria installed one of Lady Butler's paintings for a private showing at Buckingham Palace. When the painting went on public view it attracted thousands and extra police were needed to control the crowds. Lady Butler had retained the copyright in the painting and achieved widespread fame and considerable fortune.
Why Did Famous Names Disappear?
Not all artists maintained their high profiles. In both the Preface and Introduction Heller points out that women artists have been frequently overlooked. Many, like Lady Butler, achieved fame (and maybe fortune) during their lifetimes. They often supported parents, siblings, husbands and offspring, only to have their reputations disappear into obscurity. Some changed their name on marriage. Lady Butler, for example, is also known as Elizabeth Thompson, and it often happens that multiple names are not always cross-referenced in art books.
Signatures Altered by Unscrupulous Dealers
According to Heller it is also possible that unscrupulous dealers and collectors altered signatures. Paintings were re-signed with the names of better-known artists to achieve higher prices.
Margareta Haverman - Expelled From French Royal Academy of Arts
In addition, the works of female artists were sometimes re-assigned to tutors in the widely-held belief that women could not possibly produce masterpieces. In support of this argument, Heller cites the case of Dutch artist Margareta Haverman (act. by 1715, d. ca. 1723), the second woman to be appointed to the French Royal Academy of fine Arts. She was subsequently expelled because Academicians decided her 'reception piece' – the piece presented by every new member – must have been executed by her tutor, Jan van Huysum. They had no evidence to support their case.
Nancy G. Heller - About the Author
Nancy G. Heller has a doctorate in art history from Rutgers University and is a well-known lecturer on the arts and women artists in particular. Her books include Women Artists: Selections from the Collection of the National Museum of Women in the Arts and Why a Painting is Like a Pizza: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying Modern Art.
Women Artists An Illustrated History is published by Abbeville Press Ltd., in 2004. It is available in paperback, 312 pages, ISBN: 978-0-7892-0768-5.
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