Artemisia Gentileschi, Angelica Kauffmann, Clara Peeters, Rosa Bonheur, Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot and Maruja Mallo were all great artists but little known today, in fact they were all leading women painters of their day, all influential and had who achieved recognition during in their day but later saw their works fade into obscurity.
Through almost a hundred pieces, including paintings, sculptures, works on paper and textiles, Madrid´s Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is hosting an exhibition of almost a hundred pieces, including paintings, sculptures, and textiles, to highlight their artistic excellence.
Named “Maestras,” the exhibition, which runs until 4th February takes the visitor on a journey from the end of the 16th century to the first decades of the 20th century.
The exhibition is arranged into eight key themes on women’s path to emancipation: sisterhood; botanists; enlightened women; orientalism; care; new motherhood; rapport and emancipated women.
Many of the women were accomplished academics, winners of prestigious awards, and whose works were highly sought after.
Their works however were excluded from the great art institutions of European capitals.
With a few exceptions, they were even prevented from entering official art schools and from exhibiting in academies.
By the early 20th century most had been forgotten.
“It was then that the works of women artists went into storage,” said Rocío de la Villa, curator of the exhibition.
“One of the characteristics of the exhibition is that it shows us that women artists covered all subjects, that they were not confined to a particular genre, as is sometimes thought, and that they only painted flowers and fruit or portraits. They cultivated all genres, starting with Artemisia (Gentileschi) who was a great painter of historical, biblical and mythological themes.”
“One of the characteristics of the exhibition is that it shows us that women artists covered all subjects, that they were not confined to a particular genre, as is sometimes thought, and that they only painted flowers and fruit or portraits. They cultivated all genres, starting with Artemisia (Gentileschi) who was a great painter of historical, biblical and mythological themes.”
The exhibition aims to tackle this head and is the first to reflect the process of feminist rethinking.
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Front page image credit: Elisabetta Sirani. Portia wounding her Thigh. 1664. Oil on canvas, 101 × 138 cm. Collezioni d’Arte e di Storia della Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna, Bolonia