A Little Feminist History of Art

A bestselling introduction to the feminist art movement, newly expanded with 16 new artist entries that bring one of the most influential and enduring artistic movements of the twentieth century up-to-date.

Emerging in the late 1960s as women artists struggled to 'de-gender' their work to compete in a male-dominated arena, the feminist art movement has played a leading role in the art world over the last five decades. Using the 'female gaze' to articulate socially relevant issues after an era of aesthetic 'formalism', women artists, working in a variety of media, have called to attention ideas around gender, identity and form, criticising the cultural expectations and stereotyping of women, women's struggle for equality, and the treatment of the female body as a commodity.

This little book is a short and pithy introduction to some of the most important artworks born out of this movement. 64 outstanding works - from the late 1960s to the present - reflect women's lives and experience, as well as the changing position of women artists, and reveal the impact of feminist ideals and politics on visual culture. Exploring themes such as gender inequality, sexuality, domestic life, personal experiences and the female body, A Little Feminist History of Art is a celebration of one of the most ambitious, influential nd enduring artistic movements to emerge from the
twentieth century.

About the Author

Charlotte Mullins is an art critic, writer and broadcaster. She has written widely on women artists including Rachel Whiteread, Cecily Brown, Rachel Lumsden, Jenny Saville, Cathy de Monchaux, Sue Arrowsmith, Susanne Kuhn, Susie Hamilton and Paula Rego.

She has published numerous books, including Lives of the Great Artists 2008 (a children's book written as Charlie Ayres), Picturing People 2015 and Rachel Whiteread 2017, and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4's Front Row and Saturday Review.