Women have always practised as artists, but for centuries the male establishment considered them mere dilettantes. Their work was derided as inconsequential and second rate and they were considered intruders in a male profession. This study examines how they overcame these difficulties and turns the focus away from women artists as victims to give an account of how they actually practised their art. The book looks at how women faced up to the exclusionary tactics of the art establishment and accepted the standards of their chosen profession. Beginning with Sofonisba Anguissola and Properzia de' Rossi in the Renaissance, and culminating with the work of artists including Cindy Sherman and Mona Hatoum, this text reconstructs the changing world of the female artist, tracing its development through the centuries as artistic and social attitudes evolved.