International Women Artists and War, 1560-2023

Book excerpt: Like many of their male peers, women artists have used their chosen mediums to explore and express their reactions to the violence of war, which they frequently experienced firsthand. The 345 named artists discussed in this book come from diverse backgrounds across hundreds of years. The book divides the 652 covered works of art into five general categories: those that provide support for the war effort, those that oppose war and/or support peace, those that document the impacts of war on the individuals who fight and the civilians who experience it, those that commemorate and memorialize the events and participants in war, and general representations of those who fight. While most of the women who documented the impact of war on those who experienced it were professional artists, self-taught artists have told equally compelling stories in their works. Whether working in a studio or on the battlefield, the women's professionalism and dedication allowed them to convey the impact of war powerfully.