Voices of Creation: The Evolution of Women In Art
Women have always made art. The question has never been whether they create — but whether the world has been willing to look.
The Renaissance and Baroque (1400–1700)
Despite being barred from formal academies, women like Sofonisba Anguissola, Lavinia Fontana, and Artemisia Gentileschi produced work of the highest order. They navigated a world that saw them as anomalies — and they prevailed.
The 19th Century
The Impressionist movement offered new possibilities. Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, and Marie Bracquemond painted from within life — capturing intimacy, light, and movement in ways that were entirely their own. Yet even as they exhibited alongside the men who became canonical, their names slipped from the histories.
The 20th Century
The 20th century brought a radical reckoning. From Georgia O’Keeffe’s monumental flowers to Louise Bourgeois’s towering spiders, from Frida Kahlo’s mythologised self-portraits to Barbara Hepworth’s sublime forms — female artists asserted themselves into the permanent record of art history.
Today
The fight continues. But with prizes like ours, with galleries, critics, and collectors paying attention, the tide is turning. The Women in Art Prize is proud to be part of this ongoing evolution — championing the voices that deserve to be heard.