The MODERN WOMEN ARTISTS collection is a series published by Eiderdown Books to outline an alternative history of art.
The books reveal the story of important female artists whose art might otherwise be overlooked, overshadowed or forgotten. Working across a range of disciplines and artistic styles in the first half of the twentieth century, all of the women included in this series were 'modern'.
Read together, these books begin to redress the untold history of modern art.
No 1: SYLVIA PANKHURST by Katy Norris
The daughter of Emmeline Pankhurst (who would become one of the most recognised names in the British women’s suffrage movement), Sylvia Pankhurst (1882-1960) was raised in a socialist household and sought to lead a creative life. Through her striking portraits of women at work in the factories, as well as her designs for badges, banners, murals and even tea -sets, her artistic endeavours furthered the argument for universal equal rights.
Altogether, Pankhurst’s work created a visual culture for the modern women’s movement and her artistic output is only now being re-evaluated as a critical part of understanding British social history.
