The Story of Art Without Men

Starred review from May 22, 2023
Overlooked female artists take their rightful place in the pantheon in art historian Hessel’s magisterial debut. Beginning with the Renaissance, Hessel covers “significant shifts or moments” in mostly Western art history, including the French Revolution and how its refounded artists’ academies, which had been rid of aristocratic associations, enabled an “influx of middle class female artists.” Elsewhere, Hessel profiles the post-WWI birth of Dadaism and how its “fearless” female adherents such as German Hannah Höch, known for her political collages, and multidisciplinary Swiss artist Sophie Taeuber-Arp were “unafraid to poke fun at political figures and caricature their male contemporaries.” Sections on the 19th century cover female contributors to movements such as impressionism and surrealism, and discuss key themes, including civil rights art and queer art. While Hessel touches on the barriers that kept female artists from mainstream success, she devotes most of the book to analyzing their works, contending, for example, that 20th-century Welsh-born painter Sylvia Sleigh “repossess the male-dominated” conventions of art history by depicting “men in provocative and Venus-like poses.” Hessel makes room for an impressively wide array of art forms, including fiber works and quilting, and is careful to situate her subjects within social and political contexts, instead of framing them as “the wife of, the muse of, the model of” more celebrated male contemporaries. The result is a vital and necessary corrective. Photos.

September 1, 2023

What would it be like to tell over 500 years of art history through the exclusive lens of women artists? Expanding on the thesis of her popular podcast The Great Women Artists, art historian and curator Hessel draws attention to the scores of women whose incredible talents and varied, sometimes subversive contributions to the visual arts have been forgotten, ignored, or intentionally diminished by the men-centric canon of Western art. From early feminist baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi to contemporary fiber artist Sheila Hicks, Hessel presents a varied and thoughtful survey of women artists between 1500 and the present. Chapters are organized into five thematic and chronological parts: "Paving the Way," "What Made Art Modern," "Postwar Women," "Taking Ownership," and "Still Writing." Audiobook listeners will find much to like in Hessel's crisp and intelligent narration, which demonstrates her passion for her subject. Listeners don't get to see the photos and illustrations in the book, but Hessel makes up for this with lively, engaging descriptions. VERDICT An excellent, provocatively titled work that shows what it means to celebrate the history, importance, and ongoing influence of women artists, past and present. Recommended for anyone interested in expanded views of art history.--Robin Chin Roemer

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