The Story of Art Without Men

The fine arts have long suffered gender imbalance, with women often excluded from academies, galleries, and the traditional canon. In this title, London-based art historian and curator Hessel combines the upbeat appeal of her podcast The Great Women Artists with solid scholarship to spotlight a diverse cast of women artists from the 16th century to the present who threw off constraints, broke new ground, and made exciting work. Although she follows a conventional timeline from the Renaissance through the contemporary art scene, Hessel casts a wide net, with forays into themes from Spiritualist art to textiles to Afrofuturism, and consistent attention paid to political and cultural contexts. Hessel provides a lively brief of each woman’s life, work, and background, along with an intriguing image or two that will whet readers’ interest to discover more. Artists range from well-known to obscure; even the most seasoned art enthusiast, educator, or scholar will find surprises. An index of books, articles, and exhibitions offers useful jumping-off points, as does Hessel’s podcast.