Studio of Her Own, A: Women Artists in Boston 1870-1940

"I predict an hour when the term 'Women in Art' will be as strange sounding a topic as the title 'Men in Art' would be now." This statement, made in 1915 by the painter Cecilia Beaux, is emblematic of American women artists seeking a literal and metaphorical studio in which to practice their craft. The city of Boston saw perhaps the largest and most accomplished concentration of women artists in the country, and A Studio of Her Own tells the interwoven stories of 40 of them in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It explores their lives and work both individually and communally, taking particular note of the relationships they formed that enabled many of them to excel. Along with individual portraits of the artists, the book includes discussions of such contextual issues as the importance of the Arts and Crafts movement, concerns of marriage, family, and sexuality, and the role of the MFA School. A Studio of Her Own is the definitive work on an important moment in America's cultural and artistic history.