Following the artistic muse can be daunting for anyone, but many of the American, European, and Asian women profiled here, from all walks of life, also had to deal with societal prejudice and other barriers to the pursuit of their chosen field. From the portraitist whose work was critiqued by Michelangelo to the folk artist born just after the end of slavery who learned to paint while working as a housemaid, the women chronicled here took up brushes and sculptor's tools and produced work that earned them acclaim and a place in the annals of art history. Questions on the fronts are answered on the backs.
