This article was provided by the Baltimore Museum of Art.
Have you seen “Making Her Mark: A History of Women Artists in Europe, 1400-1800” at the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) yet? The exhibition explores the vast artistic achievements of women artists and artisans from across Europe that reflect the ways in which women played an integral role in the development of art, culture and commerce.
This groundbreaking exhibition rewrites Western art history through more than 200 objects that reveal the extensive contributions and achievements of women artists and makers during the Renaissance and Baroque eras. As the most comprehensive exhibition of European women artists from this period, “Making Her Mark” presents masterful paintings by Sofonisba Anguissola, Artemisia Gentileschi, Elizabeth Vigée-LeBrun and Angelica Kauffman, alongside exquisite objects by lesser-known artists, as well as talented but often unnamed makers in collectives, workshops and manufactories.
“The presence of women as makers remains largely anomalous or anonymized in the halls displaying premodern art of European and North American museums,” said Andaleeb Badiee Banta, Senior Curator and Department Head of Prints, Drawings & Photographs. “Their absence speaks to the biases inherent to ‘Making Her Mark: A History of Women Artists in Europe’ the study of women’s artistic output as well as to the ongoing gendered notions of the heroic and spectacular as the standard measure of quality, significance, and legitimacy in Western culture. ‘Making Her Mark’ challenges these criteria and promotes the depth and range of women’s innovation and acumen within the creation of art and the growth of the art business, working to establish a new, more expansive and inclusive art history that speaks to these achievements.”
Objects ranging from royal portraits and devotional sculpture to tapestries, printed books, drawings, clothing and lace, metalwork, ceramics, furniture and decorative objects demonstrate that women were engaged with every manner of artistic production — from design and execution to the sourcing and processing of materials. The BMA is the only U.S. venue of this exhibition, making this a rare opportunity to see the breadth of creativity by European women artists.
Organized in four distinct sections — “Faith & Power,” “Interiority,” “The Scientific Impulse” and “The Entrepreneurial Spirit,” “Making Her Mark” is on view through Jan. 7, 2024.
Ticket prices for this special exhibition are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, $12 for groups of 7 or more, $5 for students with ID, and $5 for youth ages 7-18. BMA Members, children ages 6 and under, and student groups are admitted free. For reservations and more information, call 443-573-1700 or visit artbma.org.
Founded in 1914, the BMA inspires people of all ages and backgrounds through exhibitions, programs and collections that tell an expansive story of art — challenging long-held narratives and embracing new voices. General admission is free so that everyone can enjoy the power of art.
Originally published Sept. 13, 2023. Updated Dec. 4, 2023.
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