Art flourished in Ming dynasty China. Scolar-officials (and their wives and concubines) pursued the painting of birds, flowers, and landscapes as a sign of their cultural refinement. Li Yin was a celebrated painter of the 17th century, and during her lifetime over 40 other artists were imitating her work and selling it with her name on it. Her works can still be seen in the Palace Museum in Beijing.Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures.Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction.Follow me on Twitter as @her_half. Or on Facebook or Instagram as Her Half of History.

In the Dutch Golden Age, Judith Leyster was a Master Painter who ran her own workshop and created some of the greatest masterpieces of the age. Then she died, her name was completely forgotten, and her works were attributed to her contemporaries (all men). Until a lawsuit in the late 19th century sparked an investigation that dug her back out of the archives to great critical acclaim.Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures.Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction.Follow me on Twitter as @her_half. Or on Facebook or Instagram as Her Half of History.

Artemisia Gentileschi was a woman who would not be kept down. She created some of the greatest masterpieces of her time and some would say that she was the first in all of art history to portray women as realistic protagonists in their own story. Her most famous works include women with bloody swords. She was a card-carrying member of the #MeToo movement (or at least she would have been if it had existed then). And she once told a prospective male patron that he would "find the spirit of Caesar in this soul of a woman."Trigger Warning: If you don't want to hear about the rape trial, skip from 4:14 to 7:00.Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures.Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction.Follow me on Twitter as @her_half. Or on Facebook or Instagram as Her Half of History.

Sofonisba Anguissola was the first of the female Italian Renaissance painters. She studied with Michelangelo, worked as court painter for Spanish royalty, and continued to paint throughout a very long life. She pioneered still life and intimate family moments long before others made them a viable art form. Her status as a noblewoman actually raised the profile of artists. She is the first of many to achieve success as a female painter in this series.If you're interested in the history of Italy, check out the fabulously entertaining History of Italy podcast by Mike Corradi.Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures.Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction.Follow me on Twitter as @her_half. Or on Facebook or Instagram as Her Half of History.

Paint doesn't last as long as some other art forms, so premodern painters of any gender are tricky to find. Nevertheless, there is scattered evidence of women painting everything from prehistoric rock paintings to Roman portraits to Indian villages to medieval illuminated manuscripts. I also delve into why none of the women in this series will be on the same name-recognition level as Michelangelo, Monet, or Picasso. In the words of art historian Linda Nochlin, "our stars, our hormones, our menstrual cycles or our empty internal spaces, it's in our institutions and our education." Nevertheless, this episode kicks off a series of excellent female painters from around the world.Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures.Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction.Follow me on Twitter as @her_half. Or on Facebook or Instagram as Her Half of History.