Women’s World

The exhibition Women’s World explores the changing status and perception of women artists from the early 19th century to 1911. Rather than attempting to provide a comprehensive overview of art created by women, it focuses on how women’s work was interpreted by contemporary critics and the wider public, and how their opportunities were shaped by prevailing social ideas about women’s roles. Through selected artists and their works, the exhibition traces the journey from viewing artistic practice as a pastime and a cultivated way of spending leisure time to the gradual recognition of women as professional artists. Particular attention is paid to the contemporary press, which not only reflected these attitudes but also helped shape them. The exhibition captures the tension between persistent stereotypes and attempts to transcend them, showing how women’s place in the art world evolved over time.