The Concise Dictionary of Women Artists takes 200 of the original 600 entries from the Dictionary of Women Artists, published by Fitzroy Dearborn in 1996. The 200 entries selected represent the range of artists covered in the original dictionary, as well as a number of introductory essays. Illustrations are not fully reproduced, but there is a selection of black and white plates in the centre of the book.
During the past 25 years or so there has been a tremendous growth in our knowledge and interpretation of women as artists. As this book demonstrates, since the Middle Ages women have been active producers of art in different parts of the world and in different artistic media. This dictionary aims to consolidate this information and make available to researchers the vast amount of information about women artists uncovered in recent years.
Artists have been selected from those working in Western traditions from the medieval to the modern periods, including women born up to 1945. The emphasis is on painters, sculptors, photographers and those working in the applied arts. Architects and interior designers have been omitted. Arrangement is alphabetical, but there is a chronological list of artists from Hildegard of Bingen (1098‐1179) through to Barbara Kruger (1945‐ ). Naturally most of the artists included are drawn from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, but earlier time periods are impressively well covered with entries, for example, on Sofonisba Anguissola and Artemisia Gentileschi. Many of the entries include extensive bibliographic references to details of principal exhibitions, selected writings and books written about the artists.
Given that the Concise Dictionary of Women Artists is currently retailing at £65.00 and the Dictionary of Women Artists costs £190.00, the Concise Dictionary does represent a good financial investment for libraries or individuals struggling to pay for the full £190.00. The most important artists are covered in the Concise Dictionary and adequate references are made to further sources for researchers requiring more information.
