1. Anna Barbara Abash, Joseph und Potiphars Weib, 1939, Hinterglasmalerei, 44,7 x 38,1 cm, Sammlung Museum Sankturbanhof, Christian Hartmann
What if they didn't disappear
and influenced us ?
On view until the end of June 2024, the exhibition “Ingenious Women - Women Artists and their Companions” aims to reintroduce to the surrounding public with one hundred works by female artists, from the 16th century until the 18th century.
While the exhibition present classical works, ranging from portraits, history paintings, still lifes, drawings, and fine art prints of the Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical periods, the present of women we’re mostly presented to the visitors as model, or muse of the artist or a group of artists.
This time, the female artists of the exhibition are introduced as stand-alone figures, who achieved numerous research on style and technique. Most of them we’re painters, teachers, publishers and/or graphic artists, who we’re achieving great success during their lifetime. But rather than encompassing them in our canon and institutions, they were overcast due to a lack of research and investment from the museum and art history professors or specialist from the selected periods.
Sections by sections
2. Sofonisba Anguissola, Selbstporträt, 1554, 19,5 x 14,5 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Gemäldegalerie, © KHM-Museumsverband
Italy
During the sixteenth century, Italy stood at the forefront of fostering female artists, boasting both their remarkable numbers and the unprecedented positive reception they received across Europe. This phenomenon was partly attributed to the emergence of the fine-arts-academy system, originating in Italy during that era. Additionally, the willingness of male Italian painters to mentor their daughters, if they displayed talent, further contributed to this flourishing environment. One notable example is Jacopo Robusti, known as Tintoretto, who enlisted the assistance of his daughter Marietta in his studio in Venice. Marietta's dedication to her father's craft was evident, as she declined prestigious court painter positions to remain by his side. Similarly, Amilcare Anguissola actively pursued opportunities for his daughter Sofonisba, arranging for her to receive instruction from Bernardino Campi in their hometown of Cremona. Through skillful promotion, Sofonisba ascended to success within the Spanish royal court. Prospero Fontana designated his daughter Lavinia as his successor in Bologna, a decision further bolstered by her advantageous marriage into the nobility, which broadened her artistic influence. Elisabetta Sirani not only excelled as an artist herself but also served as a mentor and Academy member, inspiring numerous female artists in Bologna.
Still-life painting in Italy and France
In the early modern period in Europe, women were often perceived as lacking innovation, relegating them to the domains of still life and portraiture, considered lesser genres. However, women received consistent acclaim for their achievements in these genres, which demanded meticulous imitation of nature. Conversely, historical paintings, requiring more than mere observation, were seldom produced by female artists.
In the 16th century, Fede Galizia of Milan emerged as one of the pioneers in exploring the relatively new realm of still life painting. Two centuries later, Anne Vallayer-Coster, a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Paris, showcased exceptional talent in this field. Despite being constrained by societal expectations as a woman, Vallayer-Coster's mastery in depicting still lifes earned her accolades akin to those bestowed upon history painters. Similarly, Louise Moillon, an early French still-life painter, infused her works with sensual depictions of fruits and vegetables, imbuing her "natures mortes" with vibrant life and voice, challenging the notion of silent, lifeless objects.
Dutch women artists
In the sixteenth century, female painters began leaving their mark in the Low Countries. Katharina van Hemessen, for instance, specialized in portraiture within her father Jan Sanders' Antwerp studio. Her subtle innovations, such as the pair of portraits featuring herself and her sister, garnered the attention of the Regent of the Netherlands and marked the earliest surviving depiction of an artist working at an easel. Several generations later, Michaelina Wautier of Brussels expanded beyond portraits to encompass historical and allegorical works, domains traditionally reserved for male artists.
Similarly, Judith Leyster, a genre painter, broke barriers by joining the Guild of St. Luke in Haarlem, where she operated her own workshop, training apprentices and asserting herself in what was predominantly a male-dominated field. Unlike van Hemessen, Wautier, and Leyster, who hailed from artistic families, Maria Sibylla Merian, Alida Withoos, Rachel Ruysch, and Maria van Oosterwijck did not. However, their parents supported their artistic talents financially, benefiting from the relatively liberal Dutch society of the early modern era, which provided ample space for women to pursue their artistic passions. Some women capitalized on the notion that females lacked imagination by specializing in the precise and aesthetically pleasing reproduction of nature, thereby pioneering scientific illustration.
Maria Sibylla Merian, granddaughter of Theodor de Bry, known for publishing travelogues and flower books, and stepdaughter of still-life painter Jacob Marrel, was raised in a family that emphasized the accurate rendering of flora and fauna.
Alida Withoos, daughter of still-life painter Matthias, made her mark as a botanical artist, documenting plants for prestigious collections. Rachel Ruysch, daughter of the director of the Botanical Gardens in Amsterdam, was introduced to scientific nature studies early on. Similarly, Maria van Oosterwijck, under the tutelage of still-life painter Jan Davidsz. de Heem, ventured into botanical art. Anna Waser, hailing from Zurich, specialized in miniature portraits of people rather than plants. She received templates from across Europe, which she transformed into lively miniature portraits using silverpoint or pen and ink, showcasing her talent in a unique artistic niche.
Women artists in Germany and Switzerland
In Switzerland, Anna Barbara Abesch and Anna Waser stand out as unique figures, each excelling in their own distinct artistic realms. Abesch achieved prominence as the first female Swiss artist to specialize in reverse-glass painting, achieving notable success in her craft.
Meanwhile, Waser garnered widespread acclaim as a miniature painter, her talents in high demand not only in her hometown of Zurich but also beyond Switzerland's borders. Waser's artistic journey was shaped by her studies under two esteemed teachers, Johann Sulzer in Winterthur and Joseph Werner the Younger in Bern. In Germany, Anna Dorothea Therbusch and Katharina Treu distinguish themselves through their academic achievements. Treu made history as Germany's inaugural female professor of art in Düsseldorf, while Therbusch defied gender and nationality biases by gaining admission to the prestigious Académie Royale in Paris. Angelika Kauffmann, a Swiss native, further exemplifies exceptional success across Europe. Her appointment as a founding member of the Royal Academy in London, alongside membership in numerous academies in various countries, underscored her unparalleled international renown and influence during her era.
The general trajectory of women artists
3. Maria Sibylla Merian, Zwei Nelken, die eine weiss-rot gesprenkelt, due andere Kräftig rot, 1973, Aquarell, 27,3 x 17,8 / 18,3 cm, Bilddaten Gemeinfrei - Kunstmuseum Basel, Kunstmuseum Basel, Kupferstichkabinett, Birmann-Sammlung, Martin P.Bühler
For centuries, women faced barriers to joining guilds and accessing art academies, relying largely on familial training for artistic development. Katharina van Hemessen, for instance, likely honed her skills in her father's workshop, while Marietta Robusti, later known as La Tintoretta, began her artistic journey by assisting her father, Jacopo Rusti. Many women, like Michaelina Wautier, found themselves working in obscurity, their styles often merging with their male relatives. Despite societal constraints, exceptions emerged, such as Sofonisba Anguissola, who received training outside her family circle and later gained recognition through strategic promotion. Patronage from figures like Count Palatine Charles Theodor enabled women like Katharina Treu to break into academia, while Angelika Kauffmann achieved renown as a teacher and member of the Royal Academy in London, albeit with support from male counterparts. The subjects of women artists varied, with portraits and flower still lifes dominating their output. However, some ventured into history painting, defying gender norms. The choice of subject often reflected the artist's time, place, and clientele, with bourgeois tastes influencing art in the Netherlands and Germany, while aristocratic and religious influences prevailed in Italy and Spain. Ultimately, client preferences shaped the artistic landscape, with genre painting gaining traction in Northern Europe while history painting remained prominent in the south.
Informations about the exhibition
Place: Kunstmuseum Basel
Date: 2.3.2024 - 30.6.2024
Curator: Bodo Brinkmann, Katrin Dyballa and Ariane Mensger
Ticket: Available on the website of the Kunstmuseum Basel OR at the front desk of the museum
Informations about the Kunstmuseum Basel
Kunstmuseum Basel
St. Alban-Graben 8
CH-4010 Basel
Phone: +41 61 206 62 62
Fax: +41 61 206 62 52
Mail: info@kunstmuseumbasel.ch
© Lucas GASGAR / Lucas Art Talks 2024