A sweeping historical and cultural examination of how women–and particularly, heroines–have been represented, interpreted, and reimagined throughout art history.

From the patient Penelope to the invincible Wonder Woman; from the cruel Medea to the pious Geneviève; from the warrior Mulan to the lover Juliet; from activist Rosa Parks to the symbol of Lady Liberty: who are these women who inhabit the imagination of artists?

Heroines in Art explores the women who populate artists’ imaginations and our shared visual memory. Tracing the evolution of female heroism from myth to modernity, thirty-seven works reveal how painters, sculptors, illustrators, and performers have negotiated the tension between celebrating female strength and containing its threat.

Throughout, you’ll explore the works of Peter Paul Rubens, Utagawa Hiroshige, Nam June Paik, Artemisia Gentileschi, Mary Cassatt, Faith Ringgold, and more—alongside icons such as Cleopatra, Baba Yaga, Joan of Arc, Shéhérazade, and Joséphine Baker. Inside, you’ll also find:

• A curated selection of essential and unexpected works
• Timelines, maps, and charts
• Anecdotes, historical context, and varied sidebars