Women Artists in Paris, 1850-1900 (Hardcover)
A celebration of the work and lives of women artists who shaped the art world of 19th-century Paris
In the second half of the 19th century, Paris attracted an international gathering of women artists, drawn to the French capital by its academies and museums, studios and salons. Featuring thirty-six artists from eleven different countries, this beautifully illustrated book explores the strength of these women’s creative achievements, through paintings by acclaimed Impressionists such as Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot, and extraordinary lesser-known artists such as Marie Bashkirtseff, Anna Bilińska-Bohdanowicz, Paula Modersohn-Becker, and Hanna Pauli. It examines their work against the sociopolitical background of the period, when women were mostly barred from formal artistic education but cleverly navigated the city’s network of ateliers, salons, and galleries. Essays consider the powerfully influential work of women Impressionists, representations of the female artist in portraiture, the unique experiences of Nordic women artists, and the significant presence of women artists throughout the history of the Paris Salon. By addressing the long-undervalued contributions of women to the art of the later 19th century, Women Artists in Paris pays tribute to pioneers who not only created remarkable paintings but also generated momentum toward a more egalitarian art world.
Published in association with the American Federation of Arts
In the second half of the 19th century, Paris attracted an international gathering of women artists, drawn to the French capital by its academies and museums, studios and salons. Featuring thirty-six artists from eleven different countries, this beautifully illustrated book explores the strength of these women’s creative achievements, through paintings by acclaimed Impressionists such as Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot, and extraordinary lesser-known artists such as Marie Bashkirtseff, Anna Bilińska-Bohdanowicz, Paula Modersohn-Becker, and Hanna Pauli. It examines their work against the sociopolitical background of the period, when women were mostly barred from formal artistic education but cleverly navigated the city’s network of ateliers, salons, and galleries. Essays consider the powerfully influential work of women Impressionists, representations of the female artist in portraiture, the unique experiences of Nordic women artists, and the significant presence of women artists throughout the history of the Paris Salon. By addressing the long-undervalued contributions of women to the art of the later 19th century, Women Artists in Paris pays tribute to pioneers who not only created remarkable paintings but also generated momentum toward a more egalitarian art world.
Published in association with the American Federation of Arts
Exhibition Schedule:
Denver Art Museum
(10/22/17–01/14/18)
Speed Art Museum
(02/17/18–05/13/18)
Clark Art Institute
(06/09/18–09/03/18)
Laurence Madeline is an independent curator. She formerly was curator at the Musée d’Orsay, Paris.
“The text is scholarly but accessible, and beautiful color plates are divided into themes (e.g., “Self Portraits,” “Lives of Women,” etc.).”—Library Journal, starred review
“This large-format book, the exhibition catalogue for a traveling exhibition by the same title, sheds light on a specific period and place in the history of women’s art. . . . The strength of the book lies in the 89 large, high-quality plates, which are organized by themes typically found in the work of these artists. . . . This is an important book on a subject in need of documentation.”—Choice
“This beautiful exhibition catalogue includes reproductions of the paintings, useful artist biographies, and six essays that provide context and analysis. These enrich our understanding of the obstacles, the training, the influences, and the communities of women artists who participated in the cultural life of the Impressionist ‘capital of the nineteenth century.’”—Margot Irvine and Anna Sutton, Nineteenth-Century French Studies
Denver Art Museum
(10/22/17–01/14/18)
— Denver Art Museum
Speed Art Museum
(02/17/18–05/13/18)
— Speed Art Museum
Clark Art Institute
(06/09/18–09/03/18)
— Clark Art Institute
“This large-format book, the exhibition catalogue for a traveling exhibition by the same title, sheds light on a specific period and place in the history of women’s art. . . . The strength of the book lies in the 89 large, high-quality plates, which are organized by themes typically found in the work of these artists. . . . This is an important book on a subject in need of documentation.”—Choice
“This beautiful exhibition catalogue includes reproductions of the paintings, useful artist biographies, and six essays that provide context and analysis. These enrich our understanding of the obstacles, the training, the influences, and the communities of women artists who participated in the cultural life of the Impressionist ‘capital of the nineteenth century.’”—Margot Irvine and Anna Sutton, Nineteenth-Century French Studies
Denver Art Museum
(10/22/17–01/14/18)
— Denver Art Museum
Speed Art Museum
(02/17/18–05/13/18)
— Speed Art Museum
Clark Art Institute
(06/09/18–09/03/18)
— Clark Art Institute