Museums

An exhibition of artworks from NMAG’s collection celebrates the variety of genres, methods and media used by women artists, from the eighteenth to the twenty-first century.

Northampton Museum & Art Gallery

Throughout history, both men and women have created art, yet only a select few have been remembered within Western art history. Art by men was historically valued more highly than art by women, reflecting broader beliefs that only men could possess artistic or creative genius. Certain genres and mediums were also considered more prestigious, while work made in the domestic sphere was dismissed as craft or decoration rather than recognised as fine art.

Women were barred from studying nude figures — a crucial part of classical art training — until the late 1800s. Second-wave feminism in the twentieth century, and wider social changes in the twenty-first, have challenged these hierarchies. Today, women are at the forefront of artistic production, with artists such as Tracey Emin, Maggi Hambling, Rachel Whiteread and Jasleen Kaur recognised as leading voices in contemporary art.