BRITISH WOMEN ARTISTS: FROM SUFFRAGE TO THE SIXTIES

A thoughtful survey of women’s art across the 20th century

“Their stories are told not just with reference to wider events, but with careful consideration of their personal circumstances”

Author: Carolyn Trant Publisher: Thames and Hudson Price: £12.99 Released: Out now

British Women Artists offers a detailed and deftly written account of the lives, experiences and artistic contributions of a wide range of women across the changing decades of the 20th century. Covering periods of both peacetime and war, tackling questions of wider social change and personal domestic challenges, Carolyn Trant has crafted a poignant and thoughtprovoking read.

Certainly, the years in question saw many upheavals and British Women Artists carefully situates the artists’ lives and work within their wider context. They lived, painted, sketched and sculpted against this ever-changing backdrop. This was a period that grappled with debates over suffrage, changes of social norms and expectations, and the tragedy and horror of both the First and Second World Wars. Their art was not produced in isolation from these wider events and concerns. Sylvia Pankhurst captured in art the treatment she witnessed while imprisoned for her campaigning. Stanislawa de Karlowska (a Polish artist who lived in London) depicted modern street scenes; women and children going about their business. And passages that explore the impact of war on artists – for instance, on their creative output or how women were affected by their experiences as nurses – are particularly moving.

Indeed, British Women Artists contains a clear focus on the personal stories of artists. Through this, Trant lifts the lid on overlooked and overshadowed artists, and their stories are told not just with reference to wider events or wider styles and schools of art. Instead, there is a careful consideration of their personal circumstances – their family background, their financial means, their education and opportunities, their relationships and commitments – and how this influenced their lives and art. Trant’s commentary around this is engaging and incisive. Readers may find that some of the concerns and conversations here still resonate today.

Alongside this, the text is supported by a number of images. This includes some photographs of the artists themselves, but also images of their artwork that highlight a range of styles and approaches. Being able to visualise the women and their artwork underlines the focus on the personal. Prominent names, such as Laura Knight, naturally stand out when they make an appearance. Sylvia Pankhurst, as mentioned, is noted both for her art and her politics. There are also references to the literary works of Virginia Woolf. Yet at the heart of this work is a collection of women whose names do not so famously precede them. Their many and varied stories of how they produced their art, how they changed and explored their style, how they responded to their circumstances, and how they defied expectations are at the core of British Women Artists.

In short, this is a book about life as much as art. And so, while it will of course have a natural appeal to those who are interested in the history of art, it may also find readership among those looking to explore the 20th century or women’s history more broadly.