By Nina Heyn – Your Culture Scout
This summer, the Tate Gallery in London is presenting an exhibition entitled “Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain 1520-1920,” showcasing 400 years of women creating art in Great Britain. Some of them, like Artemisia Gentileschi and Angelika Kauffmann, came from other countries in search of clients and patronage, some of them, like Maria Cosway, achieved success, and some of them, like Mary Black, failed to attract clients and have largely been forgotten, despite talents showcased by this exhibition. If there is one theme that unites all these different painters over the centuries, it is their struggle to secure recognition among their peers and clientele. You could almost subtitle this exhibition “Knocking on closed doors” because there were so many examples of failed careers and attempts to breach the glass ceiling of membership in the Royal Academy.
