7 Books about Women of Art History
With much of history, women are usually left out of the story—but not in these excellent books about the women of art history. From a tragic Baroque painter and the letters of Frida Kahlo to the powerful street art by a woman who was sick and tired of street harassment, we’ve covered the gamut of art history from the women’s perspective. Get ready for some powerful life stories and some stunningly gorgeous art.
Mary Gabriel's Ninth Street Women is the wild and sometimes tragic story of five women artists who dared to fight the patriarchy and join the male-dominated world of twentieth-century abstract painting. One crucial point: They were there to be artists, not muses. These five women—Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler—are some of the coolest women of art history who changed the worlds of art and society in America. They were pioneers who revolutionized the modern art world in postwar America, paving the way for more women to follow in their footsteps.
Street harassment, meet street portraits. In Tatyana Fazlalizadeh's Stop Telling Women to Smile, read up on the demeaning act of catcalling that women experience on the daily. The solution, according to generations of advice, is to ignore it, shrug it off, or take it as a compliment. But it is not a compliment. It introduces shame and fear of going anywhere alone. Fazlalizadeh has been creating powerful murals against street harassment and this book is the latest in her act of resistance.
Tasha Tudor was a beloved children's books author and illustrator. In The Art of Tasha Tudor, Harry Davis gives an overview of Tudor's life and work, showcasing 150 pieces of art. Her illustrations spanned from her popular children's books to holiday cards and fashion designs.
You Are Always With Me: Letters to Mama by Frida Kahlo, Héctor Jaimes
Frida Kahlo is one of Mexico’s greatest painters, with a signature style and beautiful life story. In You Are Always With Me, read the candid, handwritten letters she wrote to her mother, translated from Spanish by Héctor Jaimes. The letters began in 1923 when Kahlo was 16, and continued until her mother died in 1932. She told her mother about her life, her marriage, and her art, with humor and honesty. The book includes photographs and paintings alongside Kahlo’s loving letters.
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Ashley Holstrom is a book person, designing them and writing about them for Book Riot. She lives near Chicago with her cat named after Hemingway and her bookshelves organized by color.