Who were the pioneering female painters? Who are the best contemporary women painters around today? Offers a perceptive journey through Western art history, highlighting artists from Gentileschi to Kahlo, from Amrita Sher-gil to Jenny Saville, exploring the fascinating lives of diverse female painters and their artworks within often-challenging cultural contexts. In chapters which consider identity, muses and models, the domestic space, the avant-garde, in addition to war, peace and protest, the world of women who paint is intriguingly unlocked. Includes over 20 interviews with contemporary women artists, providing unique insights into their practices, themes and personal motivation.