why there have been no great female artists

Nochlin’s message could not be more urgent: as she herself put it in 2015, ‘there is still a long way to go’. ‘Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?’ has become a rallying cry that resonates across culture and society. With reference to Louise Bourgeois, Cindy Sherman and many more, Nochlin diagnoses the state of women and art with unmatched passion and precision. Written in an era of thriving feminist theory, as well as queer theory, race and postcolonial studies, ‘Thirty Years After’ is a striking reflection on the emergence of a whole new canon. In this stand-alone anniversary edition, Nochlin’s influential essay is published alongside its reappraisal, ‘Thirty Years After’. With unparalleled insight, Nochlin lays bare the acceptance of a white male viewpoint in art historical thought as not merely a moral failure, but an intellectual one.

GenresArtFeminismNonfictionEssaysArt HistoryHistoryTheory. In the 2020s, Nochlin’s message could not be more urgent: as she put it in 2015, There is still a long way to go. It is noted for its contribution to feminist art. Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists has become a slogan and rallying cry that resonates across culture and society. Instead, she dismantles the very concept of greatness, unravelling the basic assumptions that created the male-centric genius in art. HILE THE RECENT UPSURGE OF FEMINIST activity in this country has indeed been a liberating one, its force. Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists is a 1971 essay by American art historian Linda Nochlin. Nochlin refuses to handle the question of why there have been no ‘great women artists’ on its own, corrupted, terms. At once challenging and enlightening, it is never less than fully engaging, enticing the reader to question their own assumptions and to set off in new directions. First, it is a justification that, indeed, there are no great female artists because, as is implicitly stated in the genius narrative, greatness makes itself known regardless of circumstance. It remains fundamental to any appreciation of art today.

Linda Nochlin’s landmark essay heralded the dawn of a feminist history of art.

Why there have been no great female artists