This document summarizes Linda Nochlin's 1971 article "Why Are There No Great Women Artists?". Nochlin argues that societal attitudes and discrimination, rather than innate talents or abilities, have prevented women from achieving greatness in art. She asserts that standards of art have been defined by male perspectives and experiences. Nochlin also claims that insufficient investigation has been given to women's training, practice, historical and critical reception, and social environments that shaped their work. The document analyzes Nochlin's controversial arguments about the misperceptions of women's artistic styles and achievements.

1. Why Are There No Great Women Artists?
Matthew Vital
GE20710: Aesthetics
Professor Philip Zuchman
Spring, 2012

2. About the Author:
Linda Nochlin
• Professor
– Modern Art at the
Institute of Fine Arts,
NYU
• Women's liberation
journals
• Feminist Art Theory
– 1971 publication
– Feminine Artists &
Historians
– “Feminist gaze”

3. Controversial Topic
• Talents & abilities
– Vs. societal attitudes
– Vs. discrimination
• Passive (M)
• Aggressive-Frustrated
(W)

4. “Incapable of Greatness”
• Male standards
– M vs. W
• Feminine style
– Stereotypical subject
Matter (No correlation)
– i.e. Domestic, children

5. What is Art?
What Makes it “Great”?
• Personal life  visual • Genius
terms – Power embedded
• Language – Art history writings
– Myths
• Materialistic World
– High values

6. No Sufficient Investigation/Appreciation
• Same status quo • Training & practice
– Achievement? – Artistic occupation?
– Feminist fight? • Historical & critical
attitudes
– Writings?
• Social environment

7. Not “Influenced”…
• Previous artists
• Social Forces
• Development…
– Quality & integrity
– Social settings
– Acknowledgments

8. Lessons Learned
• Misperceptions
– Style
– Limitations
– Discrimination
• Ultimate goal
– WHY?

9. Works Cited
"Nochlin, Linda." Dictionary of
Art Historians. Web. 19 Apr.
2012.
<http://www.dictionaryofar
thistorians.org/nochlinl.htm
>.
Nochlin, Linda. "Why Are
There No Great Women
Artists?" Aesthetics: A
Reader in Philosophy of the
Arts. By David Goldblatt and
Lee B. Brown. 3rd ed. Upper
Saddle River: Prentice Hall,
2011. 42-47. Print.