The struggles and achievements of forty-six notable women artists of the early modern period, as documented by their contemporaries, are uniquely brought together in this anthology. The life stories presented here are foundational texts for the history of art, but since most are found only in rare volumes and few have been translated into English, until now they have been generally inaccessible to many scholars. Originally published in biographical compendia such as Vasari's Lives of the Artists, the writings included here document not only the lives of relatively well known women artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi and Sofonisba Anguissola, but also those who have languished in obscurity, like Anna Waser and Li Yin. Each life story is preceded by a brief introduction to the artist as well as to her biographer, and the texts themselves are annotated to provide necessary clarification. Beyond their documentary value, these stories provide fascinating insight as to how men commonly characterized women artists as exceptions to their sex, and attempted to explain their presence in the male-dominated realm of art. The introductory chapter to the book explores this intriguing gender dynamic and elucidates some of the strategies and historical context that factored into the composition of these lives. The volume includes an appended index to women artists' life stories in biographical compendia of the period

The struggles and achievements of forty-six notable women artists of the early modern period, as documented by their contemporaries, are uniquely brought together in this anthology. Many of the life stories are presented here for the first time in English translation. Each life story is preceded by a brief introduction to the artist as well as to her biographer; the texts are annotated to provide necessary clarification.

It is an old adage that "anonymous" was a woman. However not all female artists are anonymous. In this anthology of biographies of female artists, Dabbs (art history, University of Minnesota) and her colleagues reproduce biographies of female artists written by their contemporaries. Each one is prefaced with an introduction on the biographer and anything more known about the artist. Each entry concludes with references for further research. The biographies are fascinating in that the authors' admiration for their subjects is evident, something not often understood by later scholars. The stories reflect both the constraints on women and also the appreciation many of them achieved in their lifetimes. While the time frame is 1550-1800, the first chapters discuss women mentioned in Classical and medieval texts. Historians of art, culture and women will enjoy this useful compilation.

In this study, Emily Byrne Curtis explores as her subject lenses, spectacles, aventurine glass, and windows found in China from the sixteenth century. She traces their technological development back to the glassworks in Murano, Venice, and explores their significance in terms of Venice's commerce with China. Because glassware also figured among the gifts which three papal legates from the Vatican presented to the Kangxi and Yongzheng emperors, the author examines many documents from the archives in Rome and the Vatican; the study therefore touches, to an extent, on the history of the Catholic Church in China. Curtis also discusses in the volume some contemporary Chinese references and verses to European glassware, and in the case of enamel materials, she discloses the pronounced effect their use had upon the decor of Chinese porcelains.

A Companion to Gender History surveys the history of womenaround the world, studies their interaction with men in genderedsocieties, and looks at the role of gender in shaping humanbehavior over thousands of years. An extensive survey of the history of women around the world,their interaction with men, and the role of gender in shaping humanbehavior over thousands of years. Discusses family history, the history of the body andsexuality, and cultural history alongside women’s history andgender history. Considers the importance of class, region, ethnicity, race andreligion to the formation of gendered societies. Contains both thematic essays and chronological-geographicessays. Gives due weight to pre-history and the pre-modern era as wellas to the modern era. Written by scholars from across the English-speaking world andscholars for whom English is not their first language.

All those who dedicate their lives to art, it seems, face adversity at one time or another. For women in the 20th century, however, the artist's path has often been a particularly challenging one. Here are profiles of 100 exceptional 20th-century women in the arts who made an important contribution to our culture. These ground-breaking painters, sculptors, photographers, & poets each had a compelling personal vision . . . & challenged the reigning notions of what women could achieve. Their stories, often overlooked, make for inspiring reading.