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1165
The Universal Man by Hildegard von Bingen
Hildegard of Bingen. (1165). The Universal Man[Illumination from Liber Divinorum Operum]. Britannica.com. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Hildegard#/media/1/265747/17146 Hildegard of Bingen was a German Benedictine abbess. She is very well known as a composer, but created influential visual art as well. She created visionary work based on her faith and philosophy, and the Universal Man depicts a human within the universe and represents the oneness of the world. -
1361
De Mulieribus Claris
Boccaccio, G., Zainer, J., Ashburner, W. & Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection. (1473) De Claris Mulieribus. Ulm, Johann Zainer. [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/48031299/ De Mulieribus Claris, or "Concerning Famous Women", is an illuminated manuscript of female biographies. The women include Eve and Ceres of mythological stature, as well as the histories of Pamphile, credited with inventing a silkspinning method, and Agrippina, mother of Emperor Nero. -
1556
Self Portrait at the Easel
Anguissola, S. (1556) Self Portrait at the Easel [painting]. Muzeum-Zamek at Lancut Castle, Lancut, Poland.
Sofonisba Anguissola is one of the first women artists to establish an international reputation. While other women were trained by male family members, her father was a nobleman. In this 1556 self portrait, she depicts herself with her tools, painting the Virgin and baby Jesus. She is not a passive object in this portrait. Later, she depicts herself playing an instrument. -
Susanna and the Elders
Gentileschi, A. (1610). Susanna and the Elders[painting]. Schloss Weissenstein, Germany.
Artemisia Gentileschi is one of the most accomplished and influential artists of the Baroque period. She worked for royalty, portraying powerful women from a female perspective.
This painting shows two men leering at a woman in the privacy of her bath, while she throws her arms up in defense. The men do not care about Susanna's dignity. It shows an invasion of female privacy by the male gaze. -
Finding of Moses
Sirani, E. (by 1665). Finding of Moses [painting]. Private collection.
This painting depicts the Egyptian princess finding Moses on the river Nile, from the Book of Exodus. An accomplished painter, Elisabetta Sirani ran her family's workshop and founded an art school where she trained dozens of women before she died suddenly and mysteriously at the age of 27. It is with remarkable skill that she paints baby Moses and Pharaoh's daughter in the foreground, surrounded by attendants. -
Flowers in a Glass Vase with a Tulip
Ruysch, R. (1716). Flowers in a Glass Vase with a Tulip [painting]. The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London, England.
This dramatic and realistic still life is by Rachel Ruysch, a Dutch painter whose career lasted over sixty years. She worked as a court painter in Dusseldorf. She is known for her skill in rendering still life paintings of flowers; her botanist father may have influenced her choice of subjects. Her use of contrast makes the florals in the center jump out at the viewer. -
The Martyrdom of Saint Eurosia
Lama, G. (1730). The Martyrdom of Saint Eurosia[painting]. https://www.wikiart.org/en/giulia-lama/the-martyrdom-of-saint-eurosia
This piece by Giulia Lama depicts Saint Eurosia, a Spanish noblewoman who escaped an arranged marriage with a Moorish man. She went into hiding, and once discovered, she was beheaded. The painting shows her fallen body, the wound facing the viewer, and the head held as though looking down on the body. Lama remained unmarried and financially independent through her art. -
Needlework Portrait
Knowles, M. (1779). Needlework Picture[textile]. https://www.rct.uk/collection/11912/needlework-picture
This 'painting' depicts the artist, Mary Knowles, performing her portrait work of King George III, commissioned by Queen Charlotte in 1771. Both the portrait of the King and of the artist remain in the Royal Collection. Knowles was a well-known artist and abolitionist and was renowned for her intellect. In her self portrait, she conveys value and texture using only dyed wool thread. -
The Execution of Lady Jane Grey
Delaroche, P. (1833) The Execution of Lady Jane Grey [painting]. The National Gallery, London, Trafalgar Square, United Kingdom. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/paul-delaroche
Paul Delaroche painted the execution of Lady Jane Grey in 1833. He depicted the 17-year-old deposed queen as innocent and brave as she gropes for the chopping block where she will die. As a devout Protestant, Jane refused to convert to Catholicism and was martyred at the Tower of London. -
Girl with Chrysanthemums
Boznanska, O. (1894.) Girl with Chrysanthemums [painting]. National Museum, Krakow, Poland. https://mnk.pl/exhibitions/olga-boznanska
Olga Boznanska painted this portrait of an unknown girl in 1894. Simple, organic shapes with textured brushstrokes create a moving portrait that represents the artist well. The girl's dark eyes, pale face, and bright white bouquet of flowers, along with an unreadable expression, invite viewers to consider who she might be. -
Altarpiece No. 1
af Klint, H. (1915). Altarpiece No. 1[painting]. Guggenheim Museum, New York, New York. https://www.guggenheim.org/audio/track/group-x-altarpieces-nos-1-3-1915-by-hilma-af-klint
Hilma af Klint was a Swedish abstract painter. She was inspired by nature and science, and later her work took on a spiritual edge. She willed her work to a relative and requested that it be kept private for 20 years after her death in 1944. Her unique style blends geometry, symmetry, and bright colors. -
Lift Every Voice and Sing
Savage, A. (1939). Lift Every Voice and Sing(The Harp) [sculpture]. New York World’s Fair. https://sites.smith.edu/afr111-f19/the-harp/
Augusta Savage created this piece for the 1939 New York World's Fair against great odds. She was married, a mother, and widowed in her twenties, then moved to NYC with $5 to her name, and managed to self-fund a career that drew the attention of the art world. This piece was inspired by and named for a Black hymn of the same name. -
Riding into Barmouth
Adshead, M. (1941). Riding into Barmouth [painting]. Imperial War Museum, London, U.K. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/93
Mary Adshead was an English illustrator and muralist. She attended a prestigious art school at just 16 years old and painted several commissioned murals, some of which still survive today. She designed postage stamps and even painted set pieces for Elizabeth Taylor's Cleopatra. Her work is displayed at many museums and universities in the U.K. -
Maman
Bourgeois, L. (1999). Maman [sculpture]. The Tate Modern, London, U.K. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/bourgeois-maman-t12625
Louise Bourgeois created Maman for the Tate Modern in London in honor of her mother, a talented and hardworking weaver who ran a tapestry workshop. The sculpture measures 30 feet tall and 33 feet across and contains a sac with 32 marble eggs. Like a spider, her mother was clever, protective, helpful, and a hardworking weaver. This sculpture has several replicas. -
Aleppo
Saville, J. (2018). Aleppo [painting]. National Galleries of Scotland. https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/163921
Jenny Saville painted Aleppo in 2018 in response to the impact of the Syrian civil war on civilians. While she is more known for her grand paintings of nudes and nuanced way of depicting flesh, occasionally in a deliberately grotesque manner, this contains layers of charcoal, pastel, and paint to create a surreal, abstract reminder of who is affected by conflict. -
Connection
Khosravi, A. (2020). Connection [acrylic, canvas, wood, polyester]. https://kostyal.com/artists/arghavan-khosravi/
Arghavan Khosravi is an Iranian artist and illustrator known for her striking mixed-media pieces that explore themes of feminism, politics, and empowerment. Her artwork uses contradictory themes, shapes, textures, and colors to reinforce the dichotomy of freedom and restraint.