Women artists may have been less visible throughout history than male artists, but these books retrieve some of that history. Most are well-illustrated. This collection includes books that cover a wide time period -- usually the Renaissance through the 20th century.
1. Women Artists: An Illustrated History
By Nancy G. Heller, 1997. Beginning with Sofonisba Anguissola, the profiles include many illustrations and some context about the struggles of women artists in a culture not very welcoming to their successes -- yet many succeeded. The artists are arranged by century, with a final chapter on "new currents."
2. Women Artists
Subtitled "Works from the National Museum of Women in the Arts." Edited by Nancy G. Heller, 2000. Eighty six women artists are represented in this volume, with illustrations, biographies and the context of specific pictures as well as more general historical context. The end notes contain a complete listing of the NMWA holdins as of the date the book was written.3. Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art
The Guerrilla Girls take the reader on a tour of art history from a feminist perspective, showing how women were systematically excluded from the art world -- and nevertheless had an impact. In their outrageous and often humorous style, they've altered some masterpieces to bring "accuracy" -- and maybe a little revenge. It's a good, fun read, and the reader will learn a lot in the bargain.4. Women and Art: Contested Territory
By Judy Chicago and Edward Lucie-Smith, 1999. Feminist artist uses a lot of her own art and the works of others (women and men) to illustrate the portrayal of women through history in this volume co-written with an art historian. The images are grouped, and analyzed, in themes. The focus is on the female as image, rather than woman as artist.5. Women, Art and Society
By Whitney Chadwick, 2002. The author looks at the works of women artists and documents how many of them were marginalized not because they were of lesser quality or less popularity (some women artists were more popular in their own day than men whose names are much better known), but often simply because they were done by women. Definitely a good introduction to the field of women's art history.6. Women Artists in History
Subtitled "From Antiquity to the Present." By Wendy Slatkin, 2000 (4th edition). This volume would be an excellent introduction or college textbook on women in art history. This edition has been updated to include new scholarship in feminist and art history studies.7. The Voices of Women Artists
By Wendy Slatkin, 1992. A good accompanying text to "Women Artists in History" by the same author (above). In this volume, Slatkin presents writings from women artists about their art, their lives and their identities.8. Differencing the Canon
Subtitled "Feminist Desire and the Writing of Art's Histories." By Griselda Pollock, 1999. Part of the ongoing debate over what books should be considered "classics" and make up the core of learning for every educated person, this book argues not only for looking at including women artists also but re-looking at "old masters" for feminist themes and content.