Can You Name Five Women Artists?

Okay, there’s Georgia O’Keefe, Freida Kahlo, and___. The name of Artemisia Gentileschi, the genius whose magnificent, horrifying work is pictured above, should be on your short list.
She was excluded from apprenticeship by famous artists of the early 17th century. She didn’t learn to read and write until she was nearly thirty years old. She managed to make a living as an artist,obtaining commissions in several European cities, but during her lifetime her reputation as a kind of “loose woman” exceeded her fame as one of the greatest painters of the day. Eighteen-year-old Artemisia Gentilischi was thrust into the middle of a rape case which received considerable publicity. Her assailant was convicted, but released by the judge, who also ordered Artemisia to be tortured as a means of proving her honesty. The transcripts of the trial are still available today. During and immediately after the trial, she began working on Judith Slaying Holofernes, a powerful expression of her rage and violation. Artemisia Gentilischi’s work is included in the roster of the most significant artists of the Baroque/ Early Modern Period, along with Caravaggio, Bernini, Piola, Manfredi, et al. As the sole female artist in this estimable company, she “has suffered a scholarly neglect that is almost unthinkable for an artist of her caliber.” (The Image of the Female Hero in Italian Baroque Art , Mary D Garrard.)

Can You Name Five Women Artists?
Boldly printed on a bright pink envelope, the question was posed by The National Museum of Women In The Arts. An enclosure offered the following dispiriting statistics:
Out of 590 solo exhibitions at 70 institutions over 6 years, only 27% featured women artists.
Works by Women Artists make up only 3–5% of the permanent collections in major US museums.
Only 25–35% of artists with gallery representation in the U.S. and U.K. are women.
Only two artworks created by women: a Georgia O’Keefe and a Joan Mitchell abstract, rank among the highest prices paid at auction. Even at that, O’Keefe’s $44.4 million was less than 15% of the record price paid at an art auction for a work, obviously, by a male artist.
True, the male artist establishment hardly ever vilifies female artists publicly nowadays, and girls are happily admitted to art classes. However, the cold facts indicate that recognition of art created by a woman has progressed very slowly in the four hundred years since Artemisia struggled to be acknowledged for her genius and skill.