Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?

Linda Nochlins landmark essay heralded the
dawn of a feminist history of art. It remains
fundamental to any appreciation of art today.
At once challenging and enlightening, it is never
less chan fully engaging, enticing the reader to
question their own assumptions and to set off
in new directions. Nochlin refuses to handle the
question of why there have been no great women
artists on its own, corrupted, terms. Instead, she
dismantles the very concept of greatness, unravelling
the basic assumptions that created the male-centric
genius in art. 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.
In this stand-alone anniversary edition, Nochlin’s
influential essay is published alongside its reappraisal,
"Thirty Years After”. 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. With reference to Louise Bourgeois, Cindy
Sherman and many more, Nochlin diagnoses the
state of women and art with unmatched passion and
precision. 'Why Have There Been No Great Women
Artists? has become a rallying cry that resonates
across culture and society. Nochlins message could
not be more urgent: as she herself put it in 2015.
there is still a long way to go.

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