Politically Incorrect : Women Artists and Female Imagery in Early Modern Europe

Although women painters and sculptors have often been the focus of academic research, they have not been fully integrated into traditional lower-division art history surveys. Politically Incorrect celebrates women who met the challenge of being female professionals and succeeded as artists at a time when such accomplishments were not expected or encouraged.

"Although women painters and sculptors have often been the focus of academic research, they have not been fully integrated into traditional lower-division art history surveys. Politically Incorrect: Women Artists and Female Imagery in Early Modern Europe celebrates women who met the challenge of being female professionals and succeeded as artists at a time when such accomplishments were not expected or encouraged. Concentrating on social history as well as the history of art, the book inspires students to think about the context in which the women of Early Modern Europe lived. Part I focuses on creativity and the creative process. Part II is chronologically based and examines women artists of the latter Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, and 18th century. Part III is thematically constructed and investigates female imagery and how women were perceived. Developed and class-tested for 30 years, the materials in the text enhance and amplify views of women and female artists.

Politically Incorrect can be used as the basis for art history courses of the Renaissance and Baroque. It can also be employed at higher levels as an introduction to more scholarly research on the topic. Additionally, the book is an excellent supplement to many women''s studies, gender studies, and early modern European history courses.

Gina Strumwasser earned a Ph.D. in art history from University of California, Los Angeles. For the past four decades, she has taught at California State University, Fresno, where she specializes in the visual arts of Early Modern Europe. Her articles and professional presentations focus on The Renaissance and Baroque, biblical women, Jan van Eyck, Leonardo da Vinci, 17th century Dutch art, and popular culture. Her essays have been included in Advertising and Popular Culture, Encyclopedia of Comparative Iconography, Romanino''s Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine, and Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception. Most recently Professor Strumwasser contributed to the catalogue of Fresno artists titled CCAC Public Art Project. At CSU Fresno, she received awards at the Faculty Convocation, and was honored as well for Meritorious Teaching, Performance and Professional Promise. For the past 25 years, she has taken students to European cities where she presents art history lectures in situ."