Women in Art Timeline

The 19th Century- Liubov Popova (Painterly Architectonics 1918)

1918 BCE

Liubov Popova was a Russian artist who used abstract art to express ideas about change and progress during the Russian Revolution. Her 1918 painting Painterly Architectonics uses shapes and color to show movement and structure. The work reflects her belief in building a new society and challenges traditional views of women by showing that women could be leaders in art and culture.

The 19th Century- Alexandra Exter (Composition 1914)

1914 BCE

Alexandra Exter was a modern artist who used abstract art to show the fast-changing world. Her 1914 painting Composition uses bold shapes and colors to express movement and energy. The artwork reflects a time of social change and shows that women were becoming more active, creative, and independent in society.

The 18th century- Alice Walker ( Wounded Feelings)

1861 BCE

Alice Walker is a renowned American author and activist who writes about the struggles of Black women. Alice Walker’s Wounded Feelings (1861) portrays a woman’s emotional struggle to highlight the restrictive roles and expectations placed on women during the Victorian era. The painting uses her isolation and vulnerability to deliver a feminist message about the need to recognize and value women's inner lives and emotional experiences.

The 18th Century- Rosa Bonheur (The Hour Fair)

1855 BCE

Rosa Bonheur was a pioneering French artist known for her realistic animal paintings, breaking gender norms by working in male-dominated spaces. Her famous painting, The Horse Fair (1855), depicts strong, dynamic horses, showcasing her skill and challenging societal expectations. The work conveys themes of strength and independence, asserting that women could be just as powerful and capable as men in art and society.

The 17th Century- William Holland- Anne Seymour Damer -(The Damerian Apollo)

1789 BCE

The Damerian Apollo (1789) by William Holland is a satirical print mocking sculptor Anne Seymour Damer by depicting her as the masculine god Apollo. Using caricature and classical symbolism, it criticizes her for entering a male-dominated field, reflecting 18th-century anxieties about gender roles and feminism. The piece mocks women’s public ambition, aligning with conservative backlash during a time of social and political upheaval.

The 17th Century- Adélaïde Labille-Guiard (Self Portrait with Two Pupils) 1785

1785 BCE

Adélaïde Labille-Guiard was a prominent 18th-century French portraitist and advocate for women in art. Her Self-Portrait with Two Pupils showcases her talent and promotes the role of women as artists and mentors. Through this work, she challenged gender barriers in the art world and emphasized female education, solidarity, and inclusion in professional artistic spaces.

The Renaissance- Elisabetta Sirani (Portrait of Anna Maria Ranuzzi)

1665 BCE

Elisabetta Sirani was a famous Italian artist from Bologna. She was one of the first women to be known and respected as a painter. People loved her colorful and emotional art, and many wanted to buy her work. In her painting Portrait of Anna Maria Ranuzzi as Charity (1665), she shows a woman with her two sons and another child giving cherries. The picture shows love, kindness, and care.

The Renaissance- Johannes Vermeer’s The Lacemaker (1665–1668)

1665 BCE

Johannes Vermeer was a Dutch painter known for quiet indoor scenes of middle-class life during the Golden Age. His art is known for its calm feeling and careful use of light. His painting The Lacemaker shows a woman focused on making lace, representing values like hard work and modesty. The close view focuses on her task, reflecting Dutch Golden Age and Protestant beliefs about the importance of home and discipline.

The Middle Ages- Bourgot and le Noir (Book Of Hours)

1353 BCE

Bourgot le Noir was a famous woman artist in 14th century France. She worked with her father on religious books including the Book of Hours. Her art showed women as kind, pure, and holy. She used bright colors and gold in her drawings. Even though women had limited roles back then, her work showed that women could also be talented artists.

The Middle Age- Herrad of Landsberg (Hortus Deliciarum)

1170 BCE

Herrad of Landsberg, a 12th-century abbess, created the Hortus Deliciarum, one of the earliest encyclopedias by a woman. Designed to educate nuns, it blended theology, philosophy, and history, portraying women as active spiritual and intellectual figures in medieval life.