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Four Great Women Artists Worth Knowing

Women painters who broke barriers

Christopher P Jones
6 min readMar 16, 2023
Musica (Melody) (1895–1897) by Kate Elizabeth Bunce. Oil on canvas. 51 × 76.3 cm. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, UK. Image source Birmingham Museums Trust (open access)

There are countless female artists throughout history who have had significant roles in shaping the world of art.

Yet their contributions have historically been undervalued. Factors such as social expectations, gender roles and poor access to education and training academies, prevented women artists from receiving the same patronage and exhibiting opportunities as their male counterparts. As such these barriers have resulted in the invisibility and under-representation of women artists in the halls of “great art”.

Of course, that’s not to say there are no great female artists. On the contrary, since the social activism of the 1960s and 70s, significant numbers of women artists have been recognised as having a defining impact on art history.

In this article, I want to highlight four such powerful artists — shedding light on their lives, talent and creativity.

From the Pre-Raphaelite paintings of Kate Elizabeth Bunce to the modern colour prints of Jacoba van Heemskerck, these women have challenged the conventions of their female stereotypes to become innovators and competitors in art creation. There is no doubt they left an indelible mark on the history of art and deserve recognition for their unique achievements.

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