ART H399FF ST: Women in Art
This course will survey the history of women artists as well as representations of women in art, considering both western and non-western cultures. Topics will include evidence of the role of women in ancient art, including Mesopotamia and ancient Greece, representations of women in sacred and secular contexts through history, as well as a survey of women artists. There is evidence that women produced visual art objects as early as the Middle Ages, although these artists have received little attention. In the sixteenth century, more women entered the art world, and a documented history of women artists begins. Despite the steady increase in women working as artists through more recent centuries, issues of gender, equity and value persist. Artists studied will include Sofonisba Aguissola, Artemisia Gentileschi, Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun, Angelica Kaufman, Mary Cassatt, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Judy Chicago. Rejecting entrenched but baseless gender stereotypes, artists will be discussed in the context of their professional work and cultural milieus.