Museuming with Dianne: Clark Art Institute

Women Artists in Paris 1850 - 1900

I always look forward to the Clark's summer exhibition and this year I was particularly interested in seeing the sample of Women artists who painted in Paris during the period 1850 - 1900. Too often I visit museums and rarely see art created by women. I always finds this frustrating. This exhibition displayed the art of some thirty-three women artists. These women come from America, Scandinavia, Germany, Switzerland, French and Russia. Art history documents that women were not allowed to attend most of the prestigious public art school in Paris and were denied many of the professional opportunities available for men. A situation that seems to still exists to some degree.

However, these talented women did not give up, they found ways to learn and practice their art. As this exhibition clearly documents, women did paint and painted well in face of societal resistance. It simply made me proud to walk into the special galleries of the Clark Museum to spend time with these women and their art.

Marie Bashkirtseff - In the Studio, 1881

The exhibit was divided into several categories which also made by realize the tracts that these women were directed. The theme include: The Art of Painting, Lives of Women, La Toilette, Picturing Childhood, Jeunes Filles. Within each categories, there were a variety of styles. To me the categories are somewhat arbitrary, so I decided to just share some of my favorite painting. This is more difficult than it sounds because there are so many great pictures to select from.