Think of the artists of the Italian Renaissance — Botticelli, Michelangelo, Tintoretto, Titian, da Vinci — all men. Were any women painting successfully and at a large scale in the naturalistic style that took hold in Italy during 1400-1650?
Yes, even though women were barred from art instruction or learning anatomy. This short NPR article and podcast reveals the work of the organization Advancing Women Artists, and shows some of the work of Plautilla Nelli (1524-1588), Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653), and the later Violante Ferroni (b. 1720).
Two quotes really struck me. The first, from Linda Falcome, director of Advancing Women Artists:
"Art is a living entity and a piece of art has its life," she says. "You know, it gets hurt. It gets damaged. It needs renewal. It needs to be talked about and paid attention to, et cetera."
And from art restorer Elizabeth Wicks:
"It seems to me to be about the middle of the 19th century when these paintings stop being mentioned in the guidebooks," she says. "Women artists stop being mentioned. And if nobody writes about you, then you fade from history."