It is reasonable to say that when many of us think of great artists spanning the generations we tend to think immediately of the great male artistic figures such as Picasso, Gauguin or Van Gogh.
This sexist attitude may simply lie with the fame and notoriety of these undoubtedly great artists rather than seeing them as being superior to their female counterparts.
And it is true that their are many wonderful and celebrated women artists in particular over the last hundred and years when it has done more acceptable for women in Western society to step into these previously male dominated endeavours.
Many pioneering women artists such as wealthy society heiress Mary Cassatt shocked her contemporaries by moving into this male only field during the mid-1800s. Portuguese artist Paula Figueiroa Rego also began her work in a time when society in her country could not comprehend the idea being involved in such a venture.
The same was true in the New World because even in America with its supposedly liberal ideas artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe struggled for recognition from their male rivals. Then there was radical Mexican feminist Frida Kahlo who defied all of her country’s traditions and eventually came out as one of the world’s great artistic talents.
These prominent female artists paved the way for more modern women artists with their own ideas and radical concepts such as the controversial Tracey Emin and the highly acclaimed Heather Lee Brent.
Women artists have also moved with the times and how created pieces not only from oils or clay but have come to dominate other male only areas of art such as photography.
With the likes of Annie Leibovitz considered to be one of the world’s truly great photographers with her multitude of iconic shots of modern music and film superstars such as the Rolling Stones.
Women artists are no longer considered inferior or out of place and now share gallery walls with equal stature to the men.
