Katy Hessel

I’m ashamed to say that at the start I did not give the author much credit when I realized her age, but she has done an unbelievable job with this massive work. I don’t know if it’s more UK based (as the author is), but I hadn’t heard of the original art history text she’s basically rewriting with women (we used Gardner’s Art Through the Ages in school).

I really appreciated how she broke this down and enthusiastically covered so many amazing artists. I’m glad she covered my faves, but I’m also so pleased to learn about even more as I unfortunately haven’t done much art history work in the past two decades. I’ve now found her podcast which has been wonderful too, and hopefully this book is just a start to get women in art history back on track.… (more)

My starred LJ review:

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.… (more)

The story of art for our times--one with women at the center, brought together for the first time by the creator of @thegreatwomenartists. From Leonardo da Vinci to Jean-Michel Basquiat, the great painters and sculptures who have defined the fine art canon have largely been men. Katy Hessel seeks to right that wrong by cataloging, celebrating, and elevating women artists and placing their groundbreaking work in its historical, political, and cultural context. From the Renaissance to the present day, Hessel breaks down each time period and movement using a global lens, expanding the canon to include the work of non-Western artists, queer and racially marginalized artists, photographers, textile artists, and more. Discover the glittering Sofonisba Anguissola of the Renaissance and the radical work of Harriet Powers in the nineteenth century. Explore the Dutch Golden Age, the astonishing work of postwar artists in Latin America, and the women defining art in the 2020s. Featuring more than 100 works of art in color, The Story of Art Without Men is a timeless and essential addition to any library.… (more)