Welcome
WELCOME
Women have always made art, but for centuries formal recognition of their work has been hampered by social, cultural and economic structures. Despite the efforts of curators, historians and artists in recent years to redress this historical imbalance, women artists are still considerably under-represented in popular culture, in exhibitions and are under-valued by the art market. The value of art is subjective, and for the centuries the criteria that determines value have been set by male gatekeepers and tastemakers.
In this course, we will consider the historical treatment of women artists and designers and the obstacles they have faced and continue to face today. We will learn the stories of a number of artists and designers throughout history and from around the world, to reveal the diversity and complexity of their experience.
Over the next five weeks we will hear from curators, writers, researchers and artists, to learn about the unique contribution of women to the world of art and design, and to consider the key issues and discussions surrounding the study of women artists today.
Each week will include videos and readings that you can complete at your own pace, with weekly quizzes to test your knowledge, and discussion prompts to further explore the ideas. We encourage you to share your reflections on the content and your responses to the discussion prompts through the comments section at the end of each week, to continue the conversation with others who are enrolled in the course.
Broken down into five sections and inspired by works in the NGV Collection, this course explores the contribution of women to art and design from a number of different angles including:
- What Does it Mean to Study Women Artists?
- Departure From Tradition
- Feminisms
- The Body
- Craftswomen and Designers
By the end of this course, we hope that you have a greater understanding of women creative practitioners not as a unitary group defined by their gender, but as diverse individuals, whose experiences and practices are varied, complex, and determined by many different factors and influences.
Thank you for enrolling, and we hope you enjoy the course.
Information about the contributors to this course can be found on the Materials tab at the top of this page. You can also download a PDF of this information by clicking the link below so that you can have this on hand while you complete the course.
Course Coordinator
- Zoe Kirkby, Public Programmer
- Ingrid Wood, Educator
If you have any queries please contact us at onlinecourses@ngv.vic.gov.au.
Video Artwork Captions
Grace Crowley
Girl with goats, 1928
oil on canvas
54.4 × 73.4 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Presented by the National Gallery Society of Victoria, 1967
© National Gallery of Victoria
Eva Hesse
No title, 1963
oil on canvas
183.2 × 152.8 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased through The Art Foundation of Victoria with the assistance of Dr Henry Krongold CBE and Mrs Dinah Krongold, Founder Benefactors, 1993
© The Estate of Eva Hesse. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth
Mary Beale
Portrait of a lady, c. 1680
oil on canvas
76.5 × 63.7 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Krystyna Campbell-Pretty and the Campbell-Pretty Family in memory of Ros McCarthy, 2017
Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun
Anne Charlotte of Lorraine, Mademoiselle de Brionne, as Diana. c. 1775
oil on canvas
34.0 × 26.4 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Presented by Krystyna Campbell-Pretty and the Campbell-Pretty Family through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, 2017