Women Artists: The Linda Nochlin Reader

by Linda Nochlin, Maura Reilly (Editor)

Linda Nochlin is one of the most accessible, provocative, and innovative art historians of our time. In 1971 she published her essay “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?”—a dramatic feminist call-to-arms that called traditional art historical practices into question and led to a major revision of the discipline.

Women Artists brings together twenty-nine essential essays from throughout Nochlin’s career, making this the definitive anthology of her writing about women in art. Included are her major thematic texts “Women Artists After the French Revolution” and “Starting from Scratch: The Beginnings of Feminist Art History,” as well as the landmark essay and its rejoinder “‘Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?’ Thirty Years After.” These appear alongside monographic entries focusing on a selection of major women artists including Mary Cassatt, Louise Bourgeois, Cecily Brown, Kiki Smith, Miwa Yanagi, and Sophie Calle.

Women Artists also presents two new essays written specifically for this book and an interview with Nochlin investigating the position of women artists today.

Genres: Art, Feminism, Nonfiction, Art History, Essays, Womens, History

472 pages, Hardcover

First published June 16, 2015

About the author

Linda Nochlin was an American art historian, university professor and writer. A prominent feminist art historian, she was best known as a proponent of the question "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?", in an essay of the same name published in 1971.

Her critical attention has been drawn to investigating the ways in which gender affects the creation and apprehension of art, as evidenced by her 1994 essay "Issues of Gender in Cassatt and Eakins". Besides feminist art history, she was best known for her work on Realism, specifically on Gustave Courbet. Complementing her career as an academic, she served on the Art Advisory Council of the International Foundation for Art Research. In 2006, Nochlin received a Visionary Woman Award] from Moore College of Art & Design.

Reviews

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reference this book for school so often that it’s only fair I consider it toward my goal tbh. Linda Nochlin u r a deity to me thank you for your scholarship ☝️

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bittersweet ride for me. It was great to learn about some, in my case, never before heard about artists, but sad too as very few artists of colour.
Just mentioned.
I still consider it a very important read for anyone who wants some history about women and art.

[Luisa Ripoll-Alberola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo doy por terminado porque es tan tocho que tampoco tiene sentido leerlo entero como si fuera una novela. Sí que llegué a leer un 34% secuencialmente. Suficiente para saber que Linda Nochlin es una tremenda reina de la crítica feminista del arte y que históricamente le debemos demasiado. Bof, es que de verdad, es TAN inteligente... De esto que la lees y dices: "no se me podría haber ocurrido". Icónica.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listening to this digital talking book was like taking an Art history seminar. I graduated in 1994, so hearing the arguments and theories was fun and got the old brain thinking again. I completely enjoyed it!!

[Bridget Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear-eyed, comprehensive & essential. Enough said.

[Thea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible relay of female artists who have been nothing but revolutionary. Each artist tells a new chapter of female empowerment within the art world. Very easy to read and I love how the book’s narrative is segmented into artist biographies.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

way more engaging and interesting

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Some essays are better written than others. Vey thought provoking

[Mills College Library]

704.042 N757 2015

[Uva Costriuba · Rating 4 out of 5]

inspiring research, amazing artists analised, overall step up on the complexity of studies on women who are visual artists.

essa primeira leitura foi inspiradora.

[Lessthanhalf]

I'm mean Nochlin the OG when it comes to women artists (see: "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?"), so there's no way she won't appear on a reading list like this one.