Scan barcode
A review by samdalefox
The Story of Art without Men by Katy Hessel
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
My Aunty Lizzie gave this to me as my Christmas present in 2022. I took my time reading it because each page is packed with so much information and beautiful coloured pictures of the artworks. I will definitely be reading it again.
Overall Hessel achieved something quite extraordinary - an accessible, comprehensive, progressive, history of women and non-birnary artists and their work. It spans from the 1500s to 2000s, largely focusing on the West but does make an effort to include South Asian, Eastern Asian, South American, Aborigninal, and African artists. I would say Hessel makes the effort to give an intersectional feminist analysis. This is not an easy task since art history itself is difficult to categorise into specific movements, influences, genres etc. and many women artists have been overlooked throughout history. For those that are not overlooked, they have been misrepresented or downplayed, and viewed through a white Western heteronormative capitalist patriarchal lens. Discovering these artists, crediting historians, curators, and activists that supported these artists, and weaving a narrative that engages the reader is truly commendable.
Hessel sweeps us through decades to centries every few pages and names many women and gender non-conforming artists. It's a balancing act between giving enough time to call out why each individual is unique and important, and moving the conversation on so we don't get bogged down in too much detail. I think this book serves as an excellent and necessary introduction to anyone insterested in art history. For those of us with a greater interest in art and maybe already knew some of the artists presented in the book, there are many more included that we don't know, and it serves as a springboard for us to deep dive into the work of individuals mentioned, as well as new avenues and tools for us to discover even MORE artists not covered in the book. I cannot strongly recommend this book enough. This book is to Art History as 'Bitch' by Lucy Cooke is to Evolutionary biology.
Essays I strongly recommend reading alongside 'The Story of Art Without Men':
Overall Hessel achieved something quite extraordinary - an accessible, comprehensive, progressive, history of women and non-birnary artists and their work. It spans from the 1500s to 2000s, largely focusing on the West but does make an effort to include South Asian, Eastern Asian, South American, Aborigninal, and African artists. I would say Hessel makes the effort to give an intersectional feminist analysis. This is not an easy task since art history itself is difficult to categorise into specific movements, influences, genres etc. and many women artists have been overlooked throughout history. For those that are not overlooked, they have been misrepresented or downplayed, and viewed through a white Western heteronormative capitalist patriarchal lens. Discovering these artists, crediting historians, curators, and activists that supported these artists, and weaving a narrative that engages the reader is truly commendable.
Hessel sweeps us through decades to centries every few pages and names many women and gender non-conforming artists. It's a balancing act between giving enough time to call out why each individual is unique and important, and moving the conversation on so we don't get bogged down in too much detail. I think this book serves as an excellent and necessary introduction to anyone insterested in art history. For those of us with a greater interest in art and maybe already knew some of the artists presented in the book, there are many more included that we don't know, and it serves as a springboard for us to deep dive into the work of individuals mentioned, as well as new avenues and tools for us to discover even MORE artists not covered in the book. I cannot strongly recommend this book enough. This book is to Art History as 'Bitch' by Lucy Cooke is to Evolutionary biology.
Essays I strongly recommend reading alongside 'The Story of Art Without Men':
- Ways of Seeing - John Berger, 1972
- Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists? - Linda Nochlin, 1971