The Forgotten Artists

It is hard enough to keep up with all the famous artists in history. So finding time to learn about the forgotten artists seems like a stretch. However, after attending a lecture last night by Rose Balston of Artscapes UK (think art history warrior extraordinaire), my mind has been churning. The lecture, entitled Old Masters Mistresses: Forgotten Women Painters of the Middle Ages has got me thinking, questioning and challenging everything I have ever been told or led to believe about art, history and everything else. It seems that nothing is as it seems!

The lecture was part of an International Women’s Day presentation and networking event that has left me both outraged and fascinated. Certainly I want to know more.

Set against a background of intense disadvantage, women artists are rare in history. They had to be both particularly talented and lucky to have been recognised at all, let alone to be remembered.

Sofanisba Anguissola v Michelangelo

Sofonisba Anguissola (c. 1532-1625) was an Italian Renaissance painter known for her portraits, which were highly regarded for their realism, sensitivity, and psychological depth. She was one of the few female artists of her time. And in particular, one of the few to achieve recognition and success in the highly male-dominated art world.

Anguissola was born in Cremona, Italy, and received training in painting from her father. Unusually for the times, her father recognized her talent, both supporting and encouraging her to pursue her passion. She went on to become a court painter for the Spanish royal family. Here she painted portraits of the nobility as well as members of the royal family.

Anguissola’s portraits were notable for their ability to capture the individuality and personality of her subjects, as well as their mastery of light and shadow. Her paintings often depicted women and children, and she was particularly skilled at capturing the expressions and gestures of children.

In addition to her portrait work, Anguissola also painted historical and biblical scenes, as well as still lifes and genre scenes. She was highly regarded by her contemporaries, and her work is now understood to have influenced many other artists of the time.

Although Sofonisba Anguissola and Michelangelo may have never met directly, they likely knew of each other. Evidence suggests that Michelangelo may have even been impressed by Sofonisba’s work. While Michelangelo, who was older, worked primarily in Florence and Rome, Sofonisba focused her career at the Spanish court of King Philip II. However, Sofonisba studied under Bernardino Campi, a prominent painter and art theorist connected to Michelangelo’s artistic circle in Florence. This connection makes it likely that she was familiar with Michelangelo’s work.

Her father also corresponded with Michelangelo, which suggests that Michelangelo was aware of Sofonisba’s talent and had even commented on it. The exchange highlights the respect Sofonisba earned within the elite artistic community of the time, reinforcing her status as a groundbreaking female artist whose work may have caught the attention of one of the greatest masters of the Renaissance.

Today, Michelangelo is a name known the world over. Anguissola is remembered only in sty circles as one of the most important female artists of the Renaissance, and her work continues to inspire and influence artists around the world. It could inspire and influence more was she to receive broader recognition.

Clara Peeters v Ruebens

Clara Peeters (c. 1580 – after 1621) was a Flemish Baroque painter known for her still-life paintings, which depicted intricate arrangements of food, flowers, and luxury objects. She was one of the few female artists of her time to specialize in this genre, which was highly popular in the Netherlands during the 17th Century.

Peeters was likely born in Antwerp, but historians know little about her life or training as an artist. She worked in Antwerp and Brussels during the early 17th century, and collectors and patrons across Europe sought out her still-life paintings.

Peeters’ paintings were notable for their precise, detailed rendering of the objects depicted, as well as their use of light and shadow to create a sense of depth and realism. She often included exotic items in her paintings. Chinese porcelain and Turkish carpets are examples of these symbols in her compositions. They are symbols of the growing international trade and commerce of her time. Her extraordinary skill is evident n her Still life with flowers and goblets (above) where she hides self portraits in the reflections of one of the goblets.

Peeters’ work significantly influenced the development of still life painting as a genre. She was one of the first artists to introduce a sense of narrative into her compositions, setting her apart from her contemporaries. Today, art historians regard her as one of the most important still life painters of the Dutch Golden Age, celebrated for her technical skill, artistic beauty, and rich symbolism.

Art experts have compared her work to that of other Flemish Baroque still life painters, including Jan Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens. In some cases, people have even misattributed her paintings to these male counterparts, underscoring the mastery and complexity of her style.

Like Brueghel and Rubens, Peeters often incorporated highly detailed, realistic depictions of objects into her still life compositions. These emphasize the richness and variety of the natural world. She also frequently employed the technique of tenebrism, which uses dramatic contrasts of light and shadow to create a heightened sense of drama and emotional intensity.

Art historians have also compared Peeters’ work to that of other female artists of her time, including the Dutch still-life painter Rachel Ruysch and the Flemish painter Clara van den Bosch. Like Peeters, these artists earned widespread acclaim during their lifetimes for their remarkable ability to capture the beauty and intricacy of the natural world in their paintings. Collectors and patrons of the arts highly valued their work throughout the Baroque era. More recently, experts have begun to re-recognize their contributions to art and art history, particularly in light of the unique challenges they faced during their initial rise to fame.

Judith Leyster v Frans Hals

Judith Leyster (1609-1660) was a painter of the Dutch Golden Age. A painter known for her genre paintings, which depicted scenes of everyday life, as well as her portraits. Again, she was another of the very few women artists of her time to achieve recognition and success in the male-dominated art world.

Leyster was born in Haarlem, Netherlands, and received training in painting from the artist Frans Hals. She established her own studio in Haarlem and became a master of the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke, an organization that regulated the practice of painting in the city.

Leyster’s genre paintings were notable for their lively, naturalistic style and their ability to capture the expressions and gestures of her subjects. She often depicted scenes of musicians, drinkers, and other figures engaged in everyday activities, and her work was highly regarded for capturing relaxed humor and realism.

Leyster gained recognition not only for her genre paintings but also for her portraits, which depicted individuals and families with a naturalistic, informal style. Her contemporaries highly respected her work, and art collectors and patrons across Europe sought out her paintings.

In the 20th century, scholars rediscovered Leyster’s work after years of misattribution to other artists. Only now is she celebrated as one of the most important Dutch painters of the 17th century. Her work remains admired for its technical mastery, naturalism, and sensitivity to the human condition — a remarkable legacy, especially considering how long history overlooked her in favor of her male counterparts.

It is likely that Judith Leyster and Frans Hals knew each other. Both were Dutch Golden Age painters who lived and worked in Haarlem during the early 17th century. Leyster was a student of Frans Pietersz de Grebber, who was a contemporary of Hals and part of the same artistic circle. It is also possible that Leyster studied under Hals himself.

Certainly their styles are similar in their use of loose brushwork and preference for painting genre scenes. These feature lively, naturalistic figures. Additionally, Hals was known for his informal, convivial personality and his reputation as a convivial host. It is even possible that Leyster may have encountered him at social events or in his preferred selection of taverns. Unlike Hals, since her death, her popularity diminished. It is only more recently that her talent is being re-recognised and forgotten or obliterated art is being re-attributed to her.

Angelica Kauffman v Sir Joshua Reynolds

Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807), a Swiss-Austrian Neoclassical painter, was famous for her historical and mythological paintings, portraits and decorative works. She was one of the few women artists of her time who achieved international acclaim and recognition. Although she fought much harder than her male contemporaries for the recognition she so rightly deserved.

Kauffman gained recognition for her elegant and refined style, which reflected the classical ideals of harmony, balance, and proportion. She also demonstrated exceptional skill in drawing and had a talent for creating lifelike portraits of her clients.

Kauffman’s paintings often featured classical or mythological subjects. Greek and Roman gods and goddesses, as well as historical figures like Queen Elizabeth I of England, for example. Her work was highly sought by wealthy patrons throughout Europe, and she was a prominent figure in art at the time.

In addition to her paintings, Kauffman was also known for her work as a decorator and designer. She created designs for furniture, textiles, and other decorative objects. She helped found the Royal Academy in London and was highly respected by her contemporaries for her talent and contributions to the arts.

Angelica Kauffman’s work is compared and contrasted with Sir Joshua Reynolds. These two were also contemporaries and knew each other personally. They were both prominent 18th-century artists, active in the same circles in London. Both were founding members of the Royal Academy of Arts, established in 1768. They served as its first professors. This, despite the fact that she only receives, along with Mary Moser, a cursory nod to her status in Johan Zoffany’s The Academicians of the Royal Academy (1771-72). Her and Reynolds’s also received commissions from many of the same patrons, including members of the British royal family. Another of the almost forgotten artists.

Good To Know

Now I’m inspired to look closer. Not just at the narrative of women in painting and the art world but at history in general. I feel better equipped to question the accepted narratives.

The talk sparked more questions than it answered, which is exactly its purpose. Afterwards, participants actively discuss some basic questions that arose: What more can I do? What more can we do?

This addresses not just an historic concern to ensure that theses forgotten women artists receive the recognition they deserve but to ensure that history does not continue along the same path. It is now up to our generation to disrupt the narrative, ensuring that women in art gain an equal footing. Just like women in any career.

After all, the aim in feminism is not recognition for recognition’s sake, but simply equality in opportunity.

Would I Return?

Yes. Artscapes UK offers talks and lectures on various subjects. I’ll be signing up for some of the online options unless I’m lucky enough to get another live opportunity.