Here we celebrate the arrival of women artists into the art history mainstream. So you ask, "Why are there so few great women artists?"
According to tradition, in the past a woman's place was in the home, she was under the tutelage, first of her father and then of her husband. Her main duties were to be a wife, a mother, and then run a household. If a woman escaped these duties to become a artist it was an exception to the rule.
Today there are many great women artists. It was only in the 20th century when the mass of women became eligible (legally as well as culturally) to receive the highest levels of artistic training. This brings us to the problem of presenting images of paintings by women artists, copyrights. Most great women artists are under the protection of copyrights and their estates have choosen not to allow their images to be used. So for now enjoy the 31 women artists listed. As time and copyright permit I will add more artists and scans.
Someone, I say, will remember us in the future.
Sappho
The history of all times, and of today especially, teaches that... women will be forgotten if they forget to think about themselves.
Louise Otto-Peters
This is so good, you would not know it was painted by a woman.
Hans Hoffmann about his student Lee Krasner, 1937