Art history is dominated by men. In the past, it was almost impossible for a female to become a painter. It is therefore very interesting to look at female painters. The three painters presented here not only faced social resistance in pursuing their passion, but also had personal difficulties. Artemisia was raped at an early age, Frida was physically severely limited, and Georgia suffered from depression. Despite or perhaps because of these experiences, each female painter became famous and successful and was able to make a living from her art. They are still very well known today.
Artemisia Gentileschi – A Baroque Pioneer
Early Life and Background
The Italian painter from the Baroque period (1600–1750) was born on July 8, 1593, in Rome. Her exact date of death is unknown. She is considered the most important painter of her era. Born as Artemisia Gentileschi, she later called herself Artemisia Lomi.
Youth and Trauma
Her talent for painting was recognized early by her father, Orazio Gentileschi, who taught her. By age 15, she had already reached the level of a professional painter. She also learned perspective from Agostino Tassi, an encounter that turned traumatic when he raped her in 1611. The family’s honor was damaged, and Tassi falsely promised to marry Artemisia. When her father pressed charges, she had to endure a brutal trial, including torture with thumbscrews. In November 1612, Tassi was convicted and exiled from Rome.
New Beginnings in Florence
Shortly after the trial, on November 29, 1612, Artemisia married the Florentine painter Pietro Antonio Stiattesi and moved to Florence. The couple had four children. She later had an affair with banker Francesco Maria Maringhi, who financially supported her.
Artistic Career and Recognition of a female painter
Florence allowed Artemisia to develop her personal style. Her famous painting Judith Beheads Holofernes reflects her traumatic experience and showcases her dramatic, detailed technique. She became the first woman accepted into the Florentine Accademia dell’Arte del Disegno and received commissions from the Medici family. Her work in Rome and later Naples continued to gain recognition.
Later Years and Legacy
Artemisia moved to Naples in 1630, but she disliked the city. She eventually traveled to London in 1637–1638 to assist her father in painting the ceiling of the Queen’s House in Greenwich. After his death in 1639, she returned to Naples, supported by art collector Don Antonio Ruffo. Her last years were marked by financial and health struggles, but she remained a confident and influential artist.
Frida Kahlo – A Life of Pain and Art
Frida Kahlo de Rivera was a Mexican painter and a key figure in folk surrealism. Born on July 6, 1907, in Coyoacán, Mexico, she died there on July 13, 1954. She was twice married to the Mexican painter Diego Rivera.
Childhood and Early Struggles
Frida grew up with three sisters and two half-sisters. She was taught household skills by her mother but disliked the daily church visits. Despite financial difficulties, she attended the prestigious Escuela Nacional Preparatoria in 1922.
Illness and Tragedy
At age 6, Frida contracted polio, which left her right leg thinner and shorter. A devastating bus accident at 18 left her with severe injuries, including a steel rod through her pelvis. She endured lifelong pain, multiple surgeries, and several miscarriages. Painting became her therapy.
Marriage to Diego Rivera
Frida and Diego Rivera married on August 21, 1929. Their turbulent marriage was filled with infidelity, leading to their divorce in 1939. Frida channeled her pain into art and affairs but remarried Diego in 1940.
Artistic Career and Recognition of the Mexican female painter
In 1943, Frida became one of the first teachers at the national art school La Esmeralda. Despite being active for years, she only received her first solo exhibition in Mexico in 1953. Her 143 paintings often depicted self-portraits, personal suffering, and political themes.
Final Years and Death
Frida Kahlo died on July 13, 1954, from a pulmonary embolism. However, some speculate she took her own life, as she had previously attempted suicide. No autopsy was performed, as Rivera refused it.
Georgia O’Keeffe – The Mother of American Modernism
Georgia Totto O’Keeffe is one of the most famous American painters of the 20th century. She was married to Alfred Stieglitz from 1924 to 1946.
Artistic Style and Works
Her paintings often feature flowers, cityscapes, desert landscapes, and bones. Her flower paintings, inspired by Freud’s theories, have been interpreted as having strong sexual symbolism.
Early Life and Education
Born in 1887 as the second of seven children, she moved to Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1902. She attended Madison High School before studying at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League in New York.
Struggles and Artistic Evolution of the American female painter
Due to financial difficulties, she worked as a commercial artist and later as a teacher. This left her little time for her own work, leading to a creative crisis. Eventually, she shifted to abstract charcoal drawings, which helped her rediscover her artistic voice.
Love Affair with Alfred Stieglitz
O’Keeffe met Stieglitz through his gallery, 291, which exhibited modern art. Despite their 23-year age difference, they fell in love. Stieglitz divorced his wife and married O’Keeffe in 1924.
Later Years and Death of the female painter
In 1929, O’Keeffe traveled to Taos, New Mexico, where she was captivated by the landscapes. However, she suffered depressive episodes and a nervous breakdown in 1933. Her popularity grew in the 1930s and 1940s. After Stieglitz’s death in 1946, she moved permanently to New Mexico. In her later years, she painted cloud landscapes while traveling the world. She became blind in old age and passed away at 98 on March 6, 1986.
author: Nathalie Gross