In 1971, Linda Nochlin raised a question in her article "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?" Nochlin concludes that there are no great women artists because the art world does not permit women to be great.
In response to this question, I think women are destined for greatness. The following are just proofs that, throughout history, women have made great pieces of art.
1. Judith Slaying Holofernes
Artemisia Gentileschi Judith Slaying Holofernes, 1614
Daughter of Italian baroque painter Orazio Gentileschi, Artemisia Gentileschi is considered one of the most accomplished artists. In an era that prohibited women artists from creating art, he post-Renaissance art sphere was dominantly male. Despite this, Gentileschi's father taught her how to paint. Seen as a lesser being by her male counterparts, Gentileschi was raped by one of her father's pupils. The her rape was reported and tried. After a seven month trial, Gentileschi won the case. Despite her victory, the traumatic event had repercussions on Gentileschi's mental health, as well as her artistic reputation. Artemisia Gentileschi's paintings morphed into graphic pieces with common themes of women seeking vengeance on men. In her most famous piece Judith Slaying Holofernes, a courageous Judith triumphs over a bloody general Holofernes in an attempt to save her village.
2. Henry Ford Hospital
Frida Kahlo Henry Ford Hospital, 1932
The Mexican modern artist, Frida Kahlo, is arguably the most known female artist. Although most people are familiar with Kahlo's several confrontational self portraits, Henry Ford Hospital is a piece that is undervalued, yet so important. Kahlo's paintings close the gap between inner struggles and outer pain. Her personal tragedies are physically manifested in images of blood and organs. Her paintings inflict a sense of physical pain, with scattered concepts of emotional struggle, as if her physical and emotional body are one in the same. In Henry Ford Hospital, Frida Kahlo explores a topic commonly concealed: her miscarriage. In this haunting image, Kahlo explores the physical and emotional pain that spurred from losing her unborn child. Rather than shamefully hiding her miscarriage, Kahlo paints this expressive image, depicting the agony her body withstood. It's as if she invites viewers to see and feel the agony of losing an unborn child. It's as if she invites women in similar situations to resonate with her, and feel these same feelings, rather than carrying on and concealing them.
3. Cut Piece
Yoko Ono Cut Piece, 1964-present
The fact that Yoko Ono is most know as the "woman who broke up The Beatles" is enraging. Yoko Ono is a multi-media artist and activist, not just one of John Lennon's wives.
In 1964, Yoko Ono first performed Cut Piece in Kyoto, Japan. In her performance, Ono sits passively, while the audience is invited to cut pieces of her clothing away. The first few viewers cut off little pieces of Ono's clothing, but as the performance progressed, larger and larger chunks were cut away. Some critics suggest that this performance signifies how, historically, women are meant to be submissive and allow others to strip them of their purity. Other critics suggest that Cut Piece is a commentary on sexual violence. The audience cutting away at Ono's clothes can be viewed as an act of aggression performed on a helpless victim. Although this performance piece first took place before the uproar of Vietnam War protests, Yoko Ono later reveals that this piece is an anti-war statement. Despite the ambiguity of this performance piece, Cut Piece is meant to act as a social mirror, reflecting societal flaws so we may view them as such.
Are the pieces viewed in the same light as Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Van Gogh's Starry Night, or Andy Warhol's Campbell Soup Cans? Absolutely not.
Women are destined for greatness, but not recognition. Women can produce pieces as great as, if not better than, men. Lack of recognition is a gene women in the art world seem to inherit. As a result, women must work harder, be smarter, be better to be considered exceptional.
