For many hundreds of years, men paid artists to make art, decided which art to buy, and decided which art could be shown in and bought by museums.
Most of the artists were men, because women were expected to be at home having children and looking after the house. There were women artists, but for a long time it was harder for them to find chances to show their art.
Later, male art historians wrote about male artists but most of them ignored women artists. People assumed the term “artist” referred to a man. By selecting a group of women artists in our collection, we are highlighting the hard work of women making art. We are still interested in the history of male artists as well. We just want to hear more voices and different stories.
Allow Your Friends to Meet Your Enemies 2011
Lubaina Himid (b.1954)
Acrylic, pencil & magazine clipping on paper
H 74.5 x W 95 cm
Gallery Oldham
The Children of Charles I exhibited 1895
Margaret Isabel Dicksee (1859–1903)
Oil on canvas
H 105.5 x W 85 cm
Gallery Oldham
Child with Stars and Stripes 2 2002
Fareha Zeba (b.1961)
Oil & newspaper on board
H 72 x W 72 cm
Gallery Oldham
Sir William Walton (1902–1983) 1975
Elisabeth Frink (1930–1993)
Bronze
H 35 x W 19 x D 27 cm
Gallery Oldham
Small Mollington Knot Cushion 1973
Ann Sutton (b.1935)
Wool & polyester
H 35 x W 49 x D 17 cm
Gallery Oldham
Sheila Dewsbury (b.1944)
Oil on canvas
H 34.5 x W 32.5 cm
Gallery Oldham
King Street, Delph 2015
Judith Alsop Miles (b.1959)
Watercolour on paper
H 38 x W 32 cm
Gallery Oldham
Explore artists in this Curation
View all 17-
Laura Sylvia Gosse (1881–1968) -
Joyce Parfitt (b.1939) -
Ethel Wright (1866–1939) -
Lubaina Himid (b.1954) -
Diana Terry -
Judith Alsop Miles (b.1959) -
Atia Islam Anne (b.1962) -
Margaret Isabel Dicksee (1859–1903) -
Fareha Zeba (b.1961) -
Ann Sutton (b.1935) - View all 17