Whether you are an art student, an artist or simply interested in art, you may have heard of renowned artists such as Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol and maybe even Gustav Kilmt. But what you may not heard of are the female artists whose work may have inspired those artists and the artistic movements they have influenced such as minimalism, modernism and even the renaissance. And while there are many whose names have been hidden by history, here are 5 amazing women who’ve changed the Art World:
Properzia di Rossi
Back when the Renaissance movement was a man’s game, renowned sculptor and engraver, Properzia di Rossi proved them all wrong after being the first ever woman in history to earn a commission for the decorative program on the high altar of Santa Maria del Baraccano in Bologna, Italy. Known for her intellect, beauty, musical and artistic talents, di Rossi was pretty much a bombshell for her time, always showing adeptness and great passion in every one of her sculptures. Her most celebrated piece is a marble sculpture depicting the Biblical story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife, it is also one of the many panels that were commissioned for the decorative program. While she sadly died without any fortune to her name, she will always be remembered as one of the first pioneering women of the Renaissance.
Margaret and Frances MacDonald
Famously known as the Glasgow School Sisters, this savvy pair of siblings are the influences behind the expansion of the Art Nouveau movement and central to the Glasgow style during the late 19th century. In the early 1890’s the sisters enrolled in the Glasgow School of Art, which unlike many art schools during that time, gave their female students much more creative freedom. They were also allowed to work towards an art career by studying a variety of skills such as painting, textiles, embroidery and design. During their time as students, they joined the Glasgow Society of Lady Artists, a group of women that created spaces for female artists to exhibit their work and encourage each other to keep on creating despite the horrible sexist society of that time. After leaving the Glasgow School in the mid 1890’s, the sisters opened their own art studio at Hope Street in Glasgow, Scotland where they collaborated on a number of projects where they developed a particular style influenced from mysticism and folklore. These masterpieces were eventually exposed in Vienna, Italy where they finally found a name for themselves and have been known to have a profound influence by famed artist, Gustav Klimt. These women became prime examples of the “ideal independent career woman” during an era where women didn’t have a voice.
Suzanne Valadon
Suzanne Valadon was a French painter who started as a model for 10 years for many professional painters such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Edgar Degas. What’s really intriguing about her is the fact that she self-taught herself painting at the age of nine. But it wasn’t after modeling that she turned to painting still life, portraits, flowers, and landscapes that are noted for their strong composition and vibrant colors. Another really amazing fact is that she was the first female painter to be accepted in the French Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1894.
Geaorgia O’Keefe
While she had always been known for her flowers, New York skylines and landscapes, it was her love of making large-scale paintings of natural forms at close range that really impacted her excellence as a painter and made her one of the most well-known female artists. Born in 1887 to a family of seven on a dairy farm in Wisconsin where she decided at the age of 10 that she was going to be an artist then went on to get her education from both the Art Institute in Chicago and Art Students League in New York. Because of her unique artistic point of view and overall talent, she was named “Mother of American Modernism”.
Shirin Neshat
One of the most influential artists of the 20th century, this Iranian badass is another female artist no one can silence. Born in Iran in 1957 to a wealthy Persian family of five children, her father was a firm believer in education so he sent all the children all over the world in pursuit of higher education. Neshat traveled to California to study and received her BA, BS and MA in Fine Arts. She moved to New York City, got married, but didn’t return to her home country, until after the Iranian Revolution. It was there where her inspiration sparked for her new line of mature work after seeing the people, especially women being oppressed by religion and strict rules that didn’t allow any individuality or creative freedom. Her purpose is to explore the complexity of certain oppositions, such as race or sex that spark conversations about social, cultural and religious codes of human behavior. Her work still makes an impact, especially in the New York City art scene, where her message to spread creative freedom and conversation keeps on living.
Each of these women have spoken a new language, never before seen in the arts, of their own that one way or another have sparked inspiration and even controversy throughout history. And while there are many of these amazing women’s stories to be told, I hope with these you’ve added a few more topics to add to your knowledge and have inspired you to inspire others to express themselves and do what they love most.