Women have been involved in making art in most times & places, despite difficulties in training & trading their work & in gaining recognition.

In the West the Middle Ages were arguably the best period for women artists; however the later introduction of drawing from life models made it far harder, for reasons of decorum, for women to obtain the specialised training required for a professional artist. The replacement of illuminated manuscripts, most examples of which from about 1300 were apparently largely painted by women,[citation needed] with printing & printmaking also represented a setback for women’s working as artists.

In the latter part of the 20th Century, historians have endeavoired to rediscover the artistic accomplishments of women & to give these their due place in the narrative of art history.

Some famous women artists include:

Hildegard von Bingen

Caterina dei Vigri

Sofonisba Anguissola

Judith Leyster

Rosalba Carriera

Kate Elizabeth Bunce

Dorothea Lange

Tracey Emin