Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Women in the Picture is a fantastic popular intro to feminist art history. McCormack presents compelling analysis of women in the art world, and the importance of her work cannot be understated. She considers female subjects, female artists, and the reception of these two groups over time. She discusses the female archetypes - The Mother, The Seductress, The Monster, The Maiden - and how these are interpreted and imposed upon women throughout history and their identity, race, sexuality, and autonomy.

I found this book thoroughly compelling right from the first page, particularly as an art historian. By raising the question of who the patron was, and who the intended audience was, we are able to unpack how we receive it in a modern context. I particularly enjoyed the thoughtful way that McCormack brought the analysis right the way to the modern day, making it relevant for anyone interested in gender studies and feminism.

This book really was excellent. It's perfect for people who have no knowledge of art history, and a great read for those of us who are interested in the subject. McCormack is clearly passionate about redressing the balance between the subject and the viewer, the passive and the active, the balance of power between the genders in classical art.

Something you may not know about me is that I have a love of art. I am absolutely not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I do enjoy art as a form of storytelling. I'm a big fan of the Pre-Raphaelites, and I also love paintings depicting scenes from mythology or of mythological creatures and other stories. How art can capture a moment of a story and say so much. When I fall down an online rabbit hole about myths, I almost always also fall down a rabbit hole about how various artists depicted scenes from those stories. I get a lot out of going to galleries, admiring beautiful paintings, and then learning about the stories that inspired those paintings. A lot of the art I tend to like does tend to be inspired by stories of damsels in distress, female mythological creatures like sirens/mermaids, lamia, and faerie queens, and the women often tend to be partially undressed or naked. With this in mind, when I heard about Women in the Picture: Women, Art and the Power of Looking by Catherine McCormack, I knew it would be right up my street. It also didn’t hurt that The Toilet of Venus, one of my favourite paintings, is on the cover. And it was absolutely fantastic.

Women in the Picture is art history with a feminist slant. It takes a look works of art - mostly paintings - featuring women, and examines who the artist was, why they created them, who the intended audience was, and who commissioned them. Most of the works of art McCormack covers are by men, for men, with a very male gaze, with very specific ideas about women, with inherent misogyny and sexism. She takes you beyond the artwork and the story it tells, and places it within the context of the time it was painted, and why; what the man commissioning the painted wanted from the artwork - a gift for his new bride to show what he expects of her in the bedroom, for example.

McCormack breaks it down by looking at archetypes, the roles women take in the artworks, and what they say about the view men had/have of women, how we are valued, and in turn, how those ideas about us skew how we see ourselves. There’s Venus - the sexualisation of women’s bodies, women depicted feeling shame around their bodies, and a woman’s duty in pleasing her husband. Mothers - children and home being a woman’s responsibility, romanticising the nurturing, female caregiver, and also how that is ultimately a woman’s purpose/role/place. Maidens and Dead Damsels - women as victims of rape and violence, but also the moment of a woman’s death or the actual dead bodies of women, and the idea that we are at our most beautiful then because we are now an idea of a person, a body men's ideas of women can be projected onto. And Monstrous Women - women who don’t obey by the rules, who don’t conform to what is expected, as shown through female mythological creatures and villainesses, and the consequences to those women, conquering the villainess. McCormack also looks at how these archetypes, or the ideas behind them, are still present in media today, by looking at adverts, movies, photos of women deemed inappropriate on social media and why.

What’s wonderful is that once McCormack has gone through well-known works of art by men, she also then looks at artwork by women for each of these archetypes/roles, and how they turn those archetypes completely on their head, and show women as we really are, the truth, or something more empowering. She also looks at celebrity women who are very much in control of their image and how they are depicted, how they are seen, in art and media. And for every archetype, when looking at the artworks by men, McCormanck discusses how the artworks are very white, with no women of colour at all, or when they are depicted, the inherent racism. To counter this, when talking about art by women, she makes sure to discuss art by women artists of colour,and specifically looks at those artworks as depicting women of colour, by women of colour.

What I really loved about Women in the Picture is how accessible it is. You don’t need to have a degree in art history to understand what McCormack is telling us. I’m not the most intellectual of people, so while I was very much interested in Women in the Picture, I was concerned that it might be a bit beyond me, and might go over my head. But this wasn’t the case at all; no matter your knowledge of art, this is a book than can be enjoyed and understood by all.

Women in the Picture was absolutely fascinating! It was really eye-opening, thought-provoking, and definitely rage-inducing, and it’s absolutely changed the way I look at art now. I want to point out that McCormack isn’t trying to say we should all hate the artworks by men she discusses because of the misogyny; she’s giving you the context behind the paintings, and asking you to think more critically about what you see. I still love all my favourite paintings, but I’m able to look at them and see so much more now. Honestly, I enjoyed this book so much, I’ll definitely be reading it again. If you have any interest in art and feminism, Women in the Picture is very much worth a read.

Trigger/Content Warnings: This book discusses sexism, rape, racism, slavery, violence, violence against women, women in the moment of death/women's dead bodies, and their representation in art.

As someone who is unfamiliar with art history and theory, I found this book to be a great introduction to the role of women and how they are portrayed. Insightful and thought-provoking.

I received a free eARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Women in the Picture is a clear, accessible introduction to feminist analysis of art throughout history.

It explores how women have traditionally been depicted in art, primarily by, and for, white male consumption. It talks about the theory of the "male gaze" which objectifies women, and robs them of their humanity, by presenting women as archetypes - the maiden, the mother, the Venus, and the monster. These depictions still inform the way women are presented in the media today, in ads and on Instagram, for example.
This book looks at female artists who were historically overlooked, as well as how women are taking old tropes and infusing them with new meaning, and giving women power over their own images. It also explores the ways in which white women and women of colour were portrayed differently across history, and how that robbed those women of power and subjectivity twice over - through sexism and racism.

Women in the Picture is a well researched and easy to read introduction to the feminist aspects of art theory with plenty of examples, and a number of illustrations. It shows us the importance of critically analysing and engaging with art, looking at both modern theories and art in its own time, as well as starting important conversations about depictions of women.

This was a really interesting read, based on a series of lectures McCormack gave on art and feminism Women in the Picture looks at how women are represented in art and also in the art that women make. She breaks it down into Woman as Venus, Woman as Monster and Woman as Mother, three very standard representations of woman in art history and uses various examples to show the standard (i.e rich, old, middle aged white man) view, she then goes on to propose that these views shouldn’t necessarily be thrown out but that we look at these works differently. She also widens her net by throwing it out into the wider world and uses modern examples of women both in art and creating it to show how old ideas can be used to make a new statement. She also has a massive crush on Beyoncé but who doesn’t. I thoroughly enjoyed this and am pretty sure my brain expanded in the reading of it which is what we aim for. It’s very readable and accessible, I never felt overwhelmed by or bogged down in academia but it’s got enough weight to make its point and encourage different ways of seeing. 💪

To most people it will not come as a surprise that historically, most famous artists were men, that women were not allowed to study the fine arts, and that the few female artists that existed received little if any attention. The well-known exceptions are Artemisia Gentileschi and Berthe Morisot.
Yet seeing art historian Catherine McCormack list these societal misgivings and thus missed opportunities to celebrate brilliant female artists is daunting to say the least.

While traditional explanations are fine, a more socially enlightened explanation and interpretation should be available alongside it, so that particularly impressionable school children understand the art from within the time it was created and are conscious of historically antiquated values, while considering today’s society.
It has mostly been men who decide the restrictive roles women are assigned, confining them to be Venus, bride, wife, mother, child, or monster. Interpretations of classical art would be so much stronger if debate had previously been encouraged rather than dismissed. Debate about interpretations of classical art should be advocated not only in art history classes, offering a modern interpretation and view of the subject alongside viewing through the lens of the place and time during which it was created.

This book will not stop the misogynists who long for the discriminatory values of yesteryear. But it might provide hope that people develop a more encompassing understanding of art.

The female form pervades art. Female bodies are consistently on display and have become a political, social and religious battleground. Whether it is Instagram banning female nipples or female characters appearing shaved, coiffed, and made-up in post-apocalyptic films, the way women are presented is always full of meaning. In Women in the Picture, McCormack addresses this clearly. Thanks to Icon Books and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The concept of the "male gaze" was first introduced by art critic John Berger, but the one who really "coined" it, and introduced it to a wider audience, was Feminist film critic Laure Mulvey. Her critique clearly analyzed how women, in art and film specifically, are consistently viewed in a way that highlights their desirability to a male audience. Once you see it, you can't unsee it. Whether it is classical art, paintings, photography, film and sometimes even theatre, women are displayed as objects, meant to be ogled, not understood as human beings. In Women in the Picture McCormack addresses the way in which women are posed, the way in which Women of Colour are judged and mocked, and how certain trends have evolved over time.

Women in the Picture starts with Classical Art, discussing statues of Venus and paintings by Titian and Botticeli. The way in which she is posed, hip cocked, one hand gently covering the vagina, eyes far away, she becomes an object. From there McCormack tracks trends through different centuries, looking at how female artists have tried to reclaim the female body, to infuse it with actual life, to have women represent a female experience and not a male desire. It is not an overly academic book, but strongly founded in McCormack's scholarship. While some of the connections or comments made in Women in the Picture didn't entirely resonate with me, I gained many new ideas and considerations from this book.

Catherine McCormack's writing is clear and uncomplicated, which means that Women in the Picture is accessible to a wide audience. Her intent is to inform and to start a conversation, to discuss how classical art influences everything from Instagram influencers to shaving commercials, how it directly impacts how young women see themselves. While there is no answer, per se, on how to "solve" this issue, since that requires much more than a single book, McCormack understands the importance of starting a conversation, of raising awareness, and Women in the Picture does that brilliantly. Her highlighting of the difference in which Women of Colour, and specifically African(-American) women, are portrayed, compared to white women, needs to be understood by everyone and I'm glad it was laid out as clearly as it was. I would have loved to see more images since so many amazing paintings and photographs are mentioned. However, I do appreciate that due to rights etc. it may have been difficult to include all of them.

Women in the Picture is a very informative and, despite its difficult topic, enjoyable read. For anyone interested in understanding the connection between art, culture, self-perception, race and much more, this is a crucial starting point.

This was a fascinating journey through art history, viewed through a feminist lens. McCormack examines the way women are represented in art and challenges the male gaze by exploring the stories behind the artworks and presenting often overlooked female artists by way of contrast. She focuses on four categories of female figures portrayed in art: the venus, the mother, the maiden/virgin/madonna and the witch/monster.
I loved that images of many of the artworks were reproduced in the book to help demonstrate what McCormack was talking about, this really helped to bring the book to life. I love art and feminism, so this book was definitely a winning combination for me! I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in art history or feminism as it looks at art movements, famous paintings and artistic tropes. I will definitely be buying myself a copy for reference and rereading.

Women in the Picture takes a feminist approach to art history, viewing works from the classical 'canon' in a new way. It illuminates how female roles have been proscribed in art - venus/ whore/ madonna - and how alternative models of being a woman, and indeed women artists, have been marginalised.. It suggests how we can continue to appreciate classical works whilst acknowledging the ways in which they are problematic.

I think for someone who knows a lot about art, some of the references in this book might be too obvious. For me as a novice to art history, it was accessible, thought-provoking and a real joy to read.

A great book in theory, but I did feel like it missed the mark a little in terms of depth.
It may be more suited to people new to the world of art and female artists. I would recommend it as an introductory resource.

Women in the Picture

A feminist journey through art history

For me, art is about amazement, wonder, humility; the feeling that to turn a blank canvas, a piece of stone or bronze into something else, that not only challenges the senses, but appears to confirm that such talent could only be a Devine gift.

I was hoping that this book would introduce me to female artists, perhaps so far sidelined by time, gender or opportunity. There is an element of this but it is mainly about feminism, misogyny and a negative portrayal of femininity throughout history and culture; the noble and frustrating battle for a fair female voice. Many of the examples of female artists’ works are in this vein and I feel a counter discussion that women artists have and can produce the same degrees of outstanding works, has been missed.

I want to look at a piece of work for what it is and for it not to be defined by who made it; for everyone to have an equal bite at the cherry of greatness, whoever you are, when or where one is from.

The book is written with real passion and detailed research. If feminism, art or both are your interests or area of study, this book should appeal to you. If you are hoping to discover more female artists’ work to enjoy, this may be better achieved by following a celebration of female artists Facebook page.

This provocative, whistle-stop tour of women in western art was a fascinating and enjoyable read. The range of examples that McCormack uses - from ancient to contemporary - means that the narrative is pacey and allows a non-specialist reader to easily explore some of the more complex points of art theory. I particularly appreciated the provision of visual examples from artworks that the narrative explores, which served to guide the reader through McCormack's analysis. The book covers some of the more usual analyses of women in art, such as the changing impact of the male gaze, while also incorporating discussion of women as creators and viewers of art. I will certainly be recommending this book to any student who wishes to pursue History of Art courses, but also to those with an interest in gender or cultural history.

An inquiry into how women have been represented in art throughout history, this short, accessible book packs a punch. McCormack focuses on Western art, that is paintings and sculptures mainly created by white men and the archetypes they represent, who these artworks were for, how they were seen, understood and reinforced stereotypes. She introduces female artists who have addressed this imbalance, from Berthe Morrisot and Artemisia Gentileschi to contemporary artists such as Kara Walker and considers how stereotypes are still prevalent in social media or advertising for example.

In the wake of the #MeToo and Back Lives Matter movements and the summer of toppling statues associated with slavery, McCormack also considers the opposing attitudes towards some of the artworks, on the one hand beloved by the nation but what do they actually say about women? And should the museums, galleries and institutions engage with these debates, offering context, more information or ask questions? Perhaps admit that some art lovers, me included, might find paintings like Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe offensive?

While reading, I remembered a long ago visit to Tate Britain (just Tate Gallery then) with a group of art students and one of the girls wanted to show me her favourite painting: Millais’s Ophelia. I’d not been living in England long, knew nothing about Pre-Raphaelites but I’ll never forget my utter bafflement, how could this be anyone’s favourite painting? Stylistically it was just too much everything but why would an 18-year-old girl so love a painting of a drowned young woman? Was this some tragic ideal she aspired to? McCormack brought the memory back with her discussion of the “collective worship of pretty maidens drifting peacefully into death amid bucolic nature”, adding that the painting itself has become synonymous with “the aesthetically pleasing demise of the sad girl and the romanticised contemporary figure of the hot mess.”

This is an excellent, thought provoking read with compelling arguments and a serendipitous release date – two weeks before museums and galleries open to the public again. Time for some re-examination of my own attitudes.

My thanks to Icon Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read Women in the Picture.

Who are the artist and what is the subject? A question that has long been discussed in the art world. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Overwhelmingly the art in galleries in the Western World is by white men. So most of the paintings of women in those galleries are also painted by men. She talks about the typical archetypes of how women are painted by men and how society sees us and also about women artists who have pushed back against those archetypes and used them for themselves or deconstructed them. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I love books that take a topic (here feminism) and look at it through a different lens (here: art). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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As I said the focus is on Western art but I think she has done a great job in writing also about art about Black women and by Black women artists as well. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Naturally, a book like this can never be truly exhaustive, there will always be someone who says: she could have written about X and Y too. But to me, the author seems aware of all the conversations we should have and she invites us here to start thinking and talking. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So this is right up there for me in top non-fiction read of the year. I have read some amazing non-fiction already this year so a Top 10 this year will be sheer amazingness.

Strong, delightful, and genuinely provoking survey of the role and treatment of women in Western art; an excellent undergirding of theory and knowledge, which nevertheless is never tedious. McCormack brings together contemporary examples and transformations of older tropes into her study, and the result is excellent. I've already recommended this to a friend and will be seeking out her earlier book(s).

This reconsideration of art is fascinating. The author discusses the startling imbalances between the works of women exhibited in galleries compared to men. She highlights the need to redress this balance and create more representative contributions, something she acknowledges is gaining momentum. Our attention is drawn to, with examples, how art has been used to reinforce stereotypes and how we need to be more open minded when viewing art. Thank you to Catherine McCormack, Net Galley and Icon Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Catherine McCormack, Women In the Picture Women, Art and the Power of Looking, Icon Books Ltd, London.

Thank you, Net Galley, for providing me with this proof for review.

Catherine McCormack begins her book very cleverly. She is at the National Gallery, London, with her baby, looking at The Story of Griselda. The three panels depict a story of marriage, with ‘a long-haired woman surrounded by a lot of men in tights and a menagerie of animals.’ The woman appears in various situations, at times naked. A suit clad man, viewing the painting alongside McCormack, explains the painting to her. She then advises the reader of her qualifications with which she is enabled to observe the painting with a knowledgeable eye. With this introduction we are not only told that we are reading the work of an educated viewer, but how to make our own observations meaningful if we undertake some research, read others’ interpretations, resist the temptation to rely on surface impressions, observe and question our observations by enhancing our capacity for understanding. The man, thankfully, disappears from the text. McCormack remains to draw us into the fascinating and horrifying world adorning the walls at the National Gallery and other art spaces.
I come to this book having visited many galleries, housing both modern and classical art, from being an art student, and having visited the National Gallery almost every week during the four years I lived in London. On those visits some of the art that McCormack analyses horrified me, but I tended to move on, look at some water lilies or sunflowers as an antidote, escape into the sunshine (or gloom, either was better than the feelings of distress engendered by so much of the art). Now, having read this book I know why I was so distressed. So, armed with knowledge, I shall return to the National Gallery, London.
McCormack analyses the world behind the paintings that have excited the art world, drawn admiration and ecstasy from so many observers and been the subject of exhibitions, art catalogues, lectures at galleries and art schools, and a myriad of art books. Tellingly, they are also the subject of the information panels beside the paintings – none of which in any form enters the world opened up to readers of Women In the Picture.
Lest a visitor to the exhibitions of art covered in this book feel that their experience is going to be spoilt it is important to say that this possible problem is addressed. At the same time as opening the viewer’s mind to alterative views, McCormack shows understanding of how people enjoy art from their own observations and experience. Her feminist approach is knowledgeable, sensitive, and well argued. The art that horrified me is put into perspective, not a comfortable one, but with explanations that open a new world of knowing the painting, as well as the world outside the painting. A sign at a recent March 4 Women rally, organised to condemn sexual assault and rape reads: ‘This Outrage Gives Me Optimism’. Perhaps the enlightenment that McCormack provides means that feelings of distress will now be accompanied by the knowledge that the paintings are indeed misogynist, unforgivably so and that anger at their depictions of women and women's role can lead to change. There is indeed a reading that belies the pomposity of the man whose words accosted McCormack. The cruelty in the panels they were both viewing is real, it is wrong, and it must be exposed. McCormack does this.
At the same time as the narrative is compelling, drawing the reader along, the information is arranged in very few chapters, and I wondered whether for clarity they could be further categorised into sections. The chapters are: Venus, Mothers, Maidens and Dead Damsels, and Monstrous Women, with a preface and epilogue. There are lengthy, informative endnotes.
The world of the classical art in an art gallery is given a contemporary context. Rather than a pedantic rendition of the understood meanings of the paintings and sculptures McCormack describes, there is a debate between traditional and feminist interpretations, the vitality of this enhanced by associations with familiar popular and famous figures such as Beyonce and Hillary Clinton. Popular culture depicting work, narratives and depictions of women and their imaginary and real lives are linked with the art on a gallery wall. This debate continues with the discussion of feminist artists and their work. Here, the liveliness of the way in which modern women artists have been received provides yet another warning that interpretations of classical art would be so much stronger if debate had been encouraged rather than dismissed.
McCormack’s book is an excellent start to debate that is well overdue about paintings that generate and perpetuate misogyny. No-one needs to attack them, as did the suffragette, Mary Richardson in 1914, the Rokeby Venus suffering five slashes with a meat cleaver. Her reasoning, according to McCormack that was because ‘I have tried to destroy the picture of the most beautiful woman in mythological history as a protest against the Government destroying Mrs Pankhurst, who is the most beautiful character in modern history’. McCormack’s amplification, that Richardson was demonstrating the hypocrisy of the reverence afforded a painting while women were tortured in prison and beaten on the streets is outrageously current. In the UK it is being suggested that punishment for vandalising statues should begin at a harsher starting point than that of rape.
It is easy to see that misogyny is woven into the reverence given recall of the past, through statutes, or as McCormack argues, classical art. One way of modifying such misogyny would be to use the clear, well-reasoned and absorbing arguments in Women In the Picture, Art and the Power of Looking, as part of the narrative accompanying artwork. How much more illuminating information panels could be if traditional interpretations were placed side by side with the alternative knowledge McCormack sets before the reader. Such additional information could even be described as speculative if the ‘experts’ cannot bring themselves to acknowledge the validity of McCormack’s feminist understandings. Readers of McCormick’s book, well-armed with her explanations, would know better.