Great Women Artists

Celebrate five centuries of female creativity with this groundbreaking survey of women artists

Great Women Artists is the most extensive illustrated survey on women artists ever published. Now available in a sleek compact format, this essential volume reflects an era where art made by women is more visible than ever.

Organized alphabetically, the book features more than 400 artists from 50 countries around the world, representing each with a beautifully reproduced full-page artwork and a short illuminating text about its creator. Readers will find works by iconic and influential artists, such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Mary Cassatt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, Agnes Martin, Louise Bourgeois, Yayoi Kusama, and Cindy Sherman, as well as lesser-known names equally deserving of attention.

Inspiring, impressive, and expansive in scope, Great Women Artists reveals a parallel yet equally engaging history of art for an age that champions a greater diversity of voices.

Introductory essay by Rebecca Morrill

Artist texts by James Cahill, Louisa Elderton, Elizabeth Fullerton, Orit Gat, Ferren Gipson, PL Henderson, Katy Hessel, Catalina Imizcoz, Louisa Lee, Henry Little, Helen Luckett, Kathleen Madden, Henry Martin, Tom Melick, Rebecca Morrill, Yates Norton, Cleo Roberts, Matthew Price, Gabrielle Schwartz, Robert Shane, Mitch Speed, David Trigg, and Ellen Mara De Wachter

Review

‘Real changes are upon us, and today one can reel off the names of a number of first-rate women artists. Nevertheless, women are just getting started.’ – New Yorker

‘The headline grabber of 2019 was Phaidon's Great Women Artists.’ – British Vogue

‘[We] believe every damn day is worthy of celebrating great women, and Great Women Artists makes it easy ... If only all our college art history textbooks were this much fun.’ – Interview Magazine

‘Phaidon [is] helping to redress the balance with this encyclopaedic volume that examines 500 years of great art by great women artists... no self respecting art lover should be without a copy.’ – Culture Whisper

‘A wide-ranging collection of exceptional work by women.’ – O, The Oprah Magazine

‘An epic survey.’ – Harper's Bazaar

‘Women who have been airbrushed out of art history... are enjoying a renaissance, while contemporary female artists are starting to benefit from re-evaluations.’ – Sunday Times

‘Female artists have been neglected for so long that their work – even if it was painted 70 years ago – feels new and cutting edge. For collectors, it has the irresistible allure of discovery.’ – New York Times

‘It's good to see the auction houses finally giving more women a chance. For money is a powerful symbol of cultural worth.’ – Economist

‘Until very recently ... the idea that women in the West have always made art was rarely cited as a possibility. Yet, they have – and continue to do so – often against tremendous odds.’ – Frieze Magazine

About the Author

Introductory essay by Rebecca Morrill, Executive Commissioning Editor at HENI Publishing. From 2013–2023 she worked at Phaidon Press as Commissioning Editor – Art Surveys, and prior to that held roles in the curatorial teams at the Serpentine Gallery and Whitechapel Gallery.

Artist texts by: James Cahill, Louisa Elderton, Elizabeth Fullerton, Orit Gat, Ferren Gipson, PL Henderson, Katy Hessel, Catalina Imizcoz, Louisa Lee, Henry Little, Helen Luckett, Kathleen Madden, Henry Martin, Tom Melick, Rebecca Morrill, Yates Norton, Cleo Roberts, Matthew Price, Gabrielle Schwartz, Robert Shane, Mitch Speed, David Trigg, Ellen Mara De Wachter