Brushed Aside

June 26, 2023
In this breezy and illuminating survey, art historian Charney (The Devil in the Gallery) spotlights female artists, patrons, curators, influencers, critics, scholars, models, and muses who shaped the art world. He notes that women are thought to have created 75% of cave handprints, making them some of “the very oldest painters in history,” while Catharina van Hemessen (1528–1565) was the first person to paint a self-portrait of an artist at work. Louise Jopling (1843–1933), the first woman admitted to the Royal Society of British Artists, was “as important a political figure as she was a painter” and campaigned for women’s right to vote; sculptor Augusta Savage (1892–1962) established in 1932 New York City the first art studio helmed by a “prominent artist” that enrolled Black students. Meanwhile, untrained artist and mother-of-five Janet Sobel (1893–1968) pioneered drip painting—preceding Jackson Pollock’s use of the method—though she was often overlooked by art critics who derisively cast her as a “Brooklyn housewife.” While some entries are rather cursory (art collector Peggy Guggenheim, for instance, occupies only one page), those seeking an accessible introduction to women’s art history will be pleased by Charney’s lucid prose and faithful renderings of these often-overlooked figures both as artists and as unique, distinctive personalities. It’s worth checking out.

July 15, 2023
An encyclopedic series of short biographies focused on overlooked women in art history. In this "herstory," Charney, a professor of art history and author of The Devil in the Gallery and The Collector of Lives, aims to "teach the history of art using only female artists." While he succeeds at finding representatives for each major historical movement, the author frequently leans too far into his subjects' lives and omits descriptions of their work. The book is underillustrated, many features are forgettable due to their lack of visual information, and Charney rarely paints a picture with his prose. This is particularly frustrating as he explicitly touts the importance of balancing biography with art appreciation. Regarding Judith and Holofernes, a violent work by baroque master Artemisia Gentileschi that was likely influenced by her own history of sexual abuse, Charney writes, "this masterpiece should be considered as a great artwork unto itself, avoiding an over-focus on Artemisia's biography that turns the work's analysis into a revenge fantasy while ignoring its technical brilliance." Despite this, much of the text is too focused on biography. To his credit, Charney offers a unique twist and expands the scope of his history to include women patrons and collectors, many of whom were instrumental in the formation of major museums. He closes with a new take on Linda Nochlin's 1971 essay "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?" offering a lukewarm urge to reframe the discussion. He finds her argument "concerning, potentially destructive to the art historical narrative, to empowering women, to giving credit to those heroines of the past. The same point can be made in a supportive, inclusive way." Unfortunately, Charney's book falls short of being empowering, as the cascading biographies eclipse the spirit of his subjects. Readers intrigued by the subject should turn to Katy Hessel's The Story of Art Without Men. A well-intentioned but underdeveloped new perspective in art's discourse.

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September 1, 2023
As he did in The 12-Hour Art Expert (2022), Charney offers an accessible, different, and fascinating look at art history. Here his ""goal is to provide a broad, multi-angled view of how women have shaped the story of art."" In addition to recognizing the still-underappreciated legacy of women artists, he also chronicles the equally important and freshly interesting contributions of women as collectors, patrons, critics, curators, scholars, influencers, and more. The first part covers women artists across a wide span of time and art movements, from ""Renaissance to Realism"" to ""Salons and Academies"" to ""Concept and Statement"" to ""Performance and Feminism."" The second half, ""Beyond the Creators,"" portrays women in key supporting roles, ensuring that art is seen, understood, and preserved. Charney's survey goes a long way in filling in the gaps in art history caused by years of male-biased perspectives. Crisp color illustrations, a selected bibliography, and extensive notes enhance this enlightening and enjoyable volume. Art lovers and researchers alike will find much to appreciate in this unusually inclusive and expert celebration of women in art.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.