artwom3n-blog

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Welcome to Women in Art

Throughout history, women have been largely involved in artistic culture. Women have influenced the creation, been responsible for the commission, and have served as inspiration for some of the most notable and renowned pieces of art around the world. However, women have consistently faced opposition in the artistic community; struggling to find sufficient training, having difficulty selling their work, and facing serious challenges in gaining recognition for their creations.

Women were often excluded from proudly displaying, selling, or creating artwork for a variety of reasons. This was mainly due to systemic oppression, with women being widely discouraged from pursuing education, which included the study of the arts. In addition, “decorative arts”, including textiles, were not considered to be “fine arts” and therefore were not taken seriously. Despite all of the changes that women have faced due to gender bias and systemic sexism, women have persisted! Our gallery features a collection of six different works of various mediums produced by women.

Furthermore, we have included phenomenally fruitful works which aids the molding and shaping of future potential female artists. Our gallery features unique pieces. The works range from textile to photography to silversmithing. Incidentally, silversmithing was not traditionally affiliated with women, especially in art. We also have included one of history’s most commemorated portraitists. We highlight and emphasize our personal favorite works by women in art, so open your eyes to some remarkable, breathtaking pieces.

Sources:

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-history-basics/tools-understanding-art/a/a-brief-history-of-women-in-art

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Morgan Holmes

Student at Virginia Commonwealth University

Loves to cook (Chrissy Teigen fan)

Has two Basset Hounds

Taking ARTH 104 to fulfill General Education requirement 

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Cameron Pace 

Student at Virginia Commonwealth University 

Loves Australian Shepherds

Craft Beer fanatic 

Taking ARTH 104 to fulfill ‘Fine Arts’ General Education requirement 

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AnnMarie Verdi

Sophomore at Virginia Commonwealth University

History Major 

Enjoys baking

Proud dog mom to an Australian Shepherd named Monti 

Local makeup artist of RVA (@makeupbyvnnmarie__)

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Louise Dahl-Wolfe

Model in Dior Suit Walking Poodles in Paris

Ca. 1940

Gelatin Silver Print

10 1/2 x 9 1/2 in.

Gift of Helen Cumming Ziegler; National Museum of Women in the Arts

Access Number: Not on Display

Louise Dahl-Wolfe captures a model walking two sable maned poodles while suited in Dior in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The model conveys the grace and poise of a typical French woman as she keeps control of the leash, and her strut, in heels from the era. Dahl-Wolfe’s furthers the model’s slender frame as she is elongated, and complimented, by Dahl-Wolfe’s angle. The model’s confidence and her cheerful attitude in dog walking <on the famous Champ de Mars> illustrates the irony of the photograph and Dahl-Wolfe’s lightheartedness in photography in whole. With the feminin passerby behind the model adding a touch of liveliness to the photo, her lack of interposition proves the genuine childlike-innocence between the model and the two poodles. In addition to Dahl-Wolfe maintaining the nature of the shot, her use of monochromatic film for the candid preserves the prestige of the institution of fashion and its history in Paris as well.

Description by: Cameron Pace

Sources:

https://nmwa.org/works/model-dior-suit-walking-poodles-paris

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Elisabeth Haslewood

William III Tobacco Box

Ca. 1695

Silver

7/8 x 3 3/4 x 3 in.

Silver collection assembled by Nancy Valentine, purchased with funds donated by Mr. and Mrs. Oliver R. Grace and family; National Museum of Women in the Arts

Access number: not on display

The use of tobacco was commonplace in the seventeenth century and through the eighteenth century which led to the tobacco box being the most common silver box in the latter. The silversmith of the box is Elisabeth Haslewood, a member of the Haslewood Silversmith dynasty in Norwich, England. She continued the family business until her death in 1715, thus passing the legacy down to her son. Incidentally, the book, Women Silversmiths 1685-1845, emphasized the lack of recognition for women in the silversmithing field during that era. Also, it highlights that the National Museum of Women in the Arts for recognizing these women. The earliest piece within the NMWA collection is, in fact, the William III Tobacco Box by Elisabeth Haslewood. The William III Tobacco Box was crafted in 1695 and is silver in material and oblong in shape with engravings seen on the interior and exterior of the box. The work of silver is emblazoned with the initials TB across the inside, an engraving likely done by Haslewood herself. A Rococo styled coat of arms of the Gedding family of Norfolk adorns the surface of the box. The coat arms was likely engraved later on in the line of the box’s owners.  The William III Tobacco Box is the oldest silverpiece on collection at the National Museum of Women in the Art.

Description by: Cameron Pace

Sources:

https://nmwa.org/works/william-iii-tobacco-box

https://www-jstor-org.proxy.library.vcu.edu/stable/1181390?seq=2#metadata_info_tab_contents

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Marie Zie Chino

Seed Jar

1982

Clay

12 in. x 13 in. 

Access Number: Not on Display

This abstract ceramic seed jar was created in 1982 by Marie Zie Chino. Marie Zie Chino has helped to  play a critical role in the preservation of Acoma Pueblo pottery and culture. Marie Zie Chino has helped to preserve the culture largely through the revision of ancestral pottery forms/ designs. These designs are largely inspired by ancient potsherds. The seed jar features abstract floral shapes and is combined with a traditional lightning bolt design. The lightning bolt design is symbolic, as it represents the importance of water to the Acoma Pueblo’s. Traditionally, seed jars serve the purpose of protecting seeds from bugs and pests, hence the small hole opening at the top of the vase. When it comes time to extract the seeds, the jar is broken, and then is put back together again. The displayed jar serves a completely utilitarian purpose, being made for sale to bring about awareness and showcase the culture.  

Description by: Morgan Holmes

Sources:

https://nmwa.org/works/seed-jar

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Gabrielle Chanel 

Ensemble 

1929

Silk, wool 

Dimensions not available

Access Number: 1984.31a-c

Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel made a lasting impression on the world with her bold and visionary sense of fashion. Chanel was a tailor, fashion designer, and business woman who made a name for herself in the post World War I era, helping to liberate women with her revolutionary designs. This design is referred to as, “Ensemble”, created by Chanel in 1929. This particular outfit helps showcase Chanel’s talent in soft tailoring. The coat and dress combination blend together dressmaking techniques with the finishing touches of a skilled tailor. The hem and appliqués of the chiffon on the jacket are cut so that they carefully follow the floral pattern of the silk and wool textile. The fabric is reinforced with over-stichting that gives the garment an ornamental look while also structurally reinforces the fabric. This style of “soft tailoring” became a staple of the iconic Chanel Suits that she created until her death in 1971.

Description by: Morgan Holmes

Sources:

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1984.31a-c/

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Magdalena Abakanowicz

4 Seated Figures

2002

Burlap, resin, iron rods

53 1/2 in. x 24 1/4 in. x 99 1/4 in. 

Access Number: Not on Display

Born only nine years before the German invasion of her home country, Poland, Magdalena Abakanowicz’s art was heavily influenced by her personal experiences during the years of Nazi and Soviet control in Poland. (NMWA) As is exemplified in the body of her work we have chosen for our gallery, Abakanowicz often focused on the human form, and used various materials to create her pieces. (NMWA) This piece particularly focuses on a human experience, and the representation of that experience through the depiction of headless, handless figures in 4 Seated Figures. (NMWA) 4 Seated Figures is a real-life experience captured in burlap, resin, and glue for the world to observe. (NMWA) Abakanowicz witnessed the mutilation of her own mother, who was shot in her hands as soldiers raided their home in Poland in the peak of chaos that wrecked Poland during the beginning of World War II. (NMWA) This piece may not initially elicit any emotional response from an onlooker, but has an incredibly meaningful backstory which adds even more value to its composition.

Description by: AnnMarie Verdi

Sources:

https://nmwa.org/works/4-seated-figures

https://nmwa.org/explore/artist-profiles/magdalena-abakanowicz

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Cecilia Beaux

Alexander Harrison

1888

Oil on canvas 

26 in. x 19 3/4 in. 

Access Number: G239- American Galleries 

Cecilia Beaux, an American painter born in the decade prior to the Civil War, centered her life around creating portraiture that First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt would deem some of the “greatest contribution[s] to the culture of the world.” (NMWA) Beaux studied in Europe and furthered her passion for the arts by becoming an educator in her home state at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. (NMWA)

Her portrait of Alexander Harrison has been admired and elicited her work’s validation and praise from respected critics and viewers in the community. This portrait’s integrity would be commended by Harrison himself. (VMFA) Harrison influenced the composition of this piece in his suggestion of its overall color palette and the style in which it was to be produced. (VMFA) Although his approval isn’t crucial to appreciate this piece, it does add to its value and may have furthered its ranking in the artistic community at the time of production. Beaux is revered as an “accomplished painter” who has certainly contributed to the representation of female artists in the community during her lifetime. (VMFA)

Description by: AnnMarie Verdi 

Sources:

https://www.vmfa.museum/piction/6027262-8517209/ (photo)

https://nmwa.org/explore/artist-profiles/cecilia-beaux