6 Brilliant Female Painters That Should Not Be Forgotten
If you ask us the name of a painter, it is very likely that we have more than one in mind. And, really, the history of painting is full of illustrious painters: from the not so well-known ones like Giotto or Jan van Eyck, to the universally famous ones like Rafael, Leonardo, Rubens, Goya and, of course, Velázquez.
What do all these artists have in common? Well, indeed: they are all men. What happens, then, with women? Are there no women painters? Yes, they exist, and most were just as good as their male namesakes. Today we introduce you to 6 of the most important female painters in history so that, from now on, when they ask you about painters, you can add one to your list.
Until recently (very recently), female painters did not appear in art history books. It seemed as if the women had not known how to paint (or had not even tried). And, although, certainly, the past did not make it easy for women with artistic aspirations, it is true that there were many (very many) who managed to dedicate themselves to their art and who, furthermore, aroused admiration among their contemporaries. Here are some of these painters that should not be forgotten.
1. Ende or En (10th century), the pioneer
Apart from her name, we know little else about her. All the information has been extracted from the inscription with which she signed her work: Ende printix et Dei adiutrix (Ende, painter and helper of God). It is believed that he lived in the monastery of San Salvador de Tábara (León), a dual monastery, during the 10th century Duplex monasteries were very common during the first centuries of the Middle Ages; These were monasteries where both sexes lived together, under the same rule and monastic authority.
Ende illuminated, together with his companion Emeterio, the manuscript of the Blessed of Girona, one of the very numerous copies of the Commentary on the Apocalypse by Beato de Liébana. The name of the monk who worked with her appears in the aforementioned phrase, at the end: Ende printix et Dei adiutrix frater Emeterius et presbiter (Ende painter and helper of God; Emeterio, brother and priest). The nun Ende is, therefore, one of the first female artists in Europe whose name has been preserved.
2. Sofonisba Anguissola (ca. 1530-1626), queen of the Renaissance
One of the greatest painters of the 16th century, without a doubt, was Sofonisba Anguissola. She was born into an impoverished noble family, and from an early age she showed great talent for painting. Four of her sisters also dedicated themselves to the arts, but Sofonisba’s genius stood out above that of the others.
Giorgio Vasari admired her so much that he even made a place for her in his work. The lives of the most excellent Italian architects, painters and sculptors, where it says of her that “Sofonisba of Cremona, daughter of Meser Amilcare Anguissola, has worked on the difficulties of design with greater study and better grace than any other woman of our time…”. The distinguished writer later adds: “…not only has she managed to draw, color and copy from life and make excellent copies of works by other hands, but she has also executed some very select and beautiful works of painting on her own…” .
It is necessary to emphasize the expression “by itself.” It is evident that Vasari shared the vision of many of his contemporaries and considered women incapable of creating an original and unique work. With Sofonisba’s talent she had to give up, as did Michelangelo, with whom the painter maintained a lengthy correspondence.
3. Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1656), much more than abuse
Artemisia Gentileschi was 18 years old when her teacher, Agostino Tassi, raped her The young woman’s father, the painter Orazio Gentileschi, had placed her under her tutelage to teach him the art of painting, since Artemisia, as her wife, was prohibited from entering an academy. After a humiliating trial and a more than painful torture, through which it was “verified” that Artemisia was telling the truth, Tassi was imprisoned and subsequently banished.
But behind this gruesome story, on which the painter’s fame has been based, lies an extraordinary artist. Some of her most famous works, such as Susanna and the old people (1610) or Judith beheading Holofernes (1612-13), in which he combines chiaroscuro caravaggiano with a very personal stamp, they are undeniable testimony of his talent. Artemisia Gentileschi is, without a doubt, one of the greats of baroque painting
4. Rosalba Carriera (1675-1757), the master of pastel
She began designing lace patterns (her mother was a lace maker), continued decorating snuff boxes with delicate miniatures and ended up raising passions with her pastel portraits. Rosalba Carriera was a revolutionary of this technique, previously considered “second-rate”, and she made it fashionable at the beginning of the 18th century, when the Rococo style was all the rage.
The great wealthy families of the time fought to be portrayed by Rosalba. The most important figures of the French scene paraded before his easel, including Louis XV himself (who was 10 years old when he posed for her). The detail of her paintings and the deep psychology of her characters make her one of the great virtuosos of the century of enlightenment.
5. Élisabeth Vigée-LeBrun (1755-1842), loving mother and best painter
One of the great names of the French 18th century, on the same level as Watteau and Fragonard, is undoubtedly Madame Vigée-LeBrun. Her exquisite portraits were coveted by the entire Parisian aristocracy, to the point that Queen Marie Antoinette herself (who would become a close friend of hers) did not let anyone else paint her.
The young woman’s father always encouraged his little girl’s early artistic vocation. Élisabeth therefore begins to take classes, and since she was a teenager she contributes to her family economy by making and selling her own paintings. Finally she bows to her mother’s prayers (she saw in terror how her daughter was losing her youth among brushes) and marries Monsieur LeBrun, an art dealer, with whom she would have her only daughter, Julie, to whom she would always be very close. . This daughter appears on numerous occasions in her mother’s work, sometimes alone, sometimes hugging Élisabeth. Not in vain, It has been said of the artist that she is one of the best “painters of motherhood.”
When the Revolution broke out, she was forced to separate from her husband and undertake a pilgrimage throughout Europe with her daughter. As happened almost a century before with Rosalba Carriera, all her courts open their arms to her, especially Russia, where, according to Élisabeth herself, she felt like herself in her own home.
6. Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899), artist and visionary
Daughter and sister of artists, the French Rosa Bonheur is one of the most important painters of the 19th century. She dedicated herself, with equal success, to sculpture and drawing.
She was especially attracted to the representation of animals, for which he conscientiously studied his anatomy, whether going to slaughterhouses or livestock fairs. His work, of impressive realism, earned him several decorations and general recognition.
As a curiosity, we will say that the artist obtained, in 1857, official permission to wear pants in public, a garment that she considered (obviously) much more comfortable for traveling from fair to fair and from slaughterhouse to slaughterhouse. In this sense she was a true visionary, although Amelia Bloomer and her American companions had been a few years ahead of her by wearing, in 1851, the famous “bloomers” pants.
