Women artists at the National Gallery

Although few in number, works of art by women are a vital part of the collection at the National Gallery. Rebellious rule-breakers and unexpected trailblazers, they defied convention – unafraid to step beyond the boundaries imposed on them. Meet some of them below...

Judith Leyster was a Dutch 17th century painter known for her genre scenes, portraits and still lives. Her first signed works date back to 1629 when she was just 20 years old, showcasing the depth of her artistry in her early work.

This cheerful painting by Leyster may be inspired by the Dutch proverb, 'He who plays with cats gets scratched.' The image presents a lighthearted take on this familiar saying, and it’s been suggested that the painting was intended as both delightful entertainment and a warning.

Catharina van Hemessen is the earliest female Flemish painter for whom verifiable work survives. She is largely known for her few devotional paintings as well as a series of small-scale female portraits that she completed in the mid-16th century. 

We do not know who the sitter is in this portrait by Van Hemessen, but she was evidently wealthy. Her fine shirt is ornamented with delicate black embroidery and is only loosely tied across her neck; the bodice of her dress is made from corded and watered silk.

Rachel Ruysch, daughter of a renowned botanist, physician and anatomist, Frederik Ruysch, specialised in flower painting. Inventing her own style and achieving international fame in her lifetime, she enjoyed a long and successful career, producing stunning works for over six decades.

Ruysch’s delicate brushstrokes seem to skim over the surface of this painting, so that the dusky blue columbine appears as if it's drifting in the darkness. The light on the pale flowers sweeps upwards, making them appear almost luminous. 

Rosa Bonheur is one of the most celebrated animal painters of the 19th century. In 1853 she exhibited her largest and most acclaimed work, 'The Horse Fair' (now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York), in which she captured the sheer power and spirit of the featured animals.

Bonheur also made another smaller version of 'The Horse Fair' (now in the National Gallery, London) to help facilitate the production of prints for sale. In order to make her sketches from life, she attended the horse market twice weekly – wearing men's clothes to avoid unwanted attention.

Considered one of the leading female artists of the 19th century, Berthe Morisot was one of the most active and daring of the group of artists known as the Impressionists. She exhibited in all but one of the eight Impressionist exhibitions between 1874-86.

Morisot's distinctive and bold zig-zag brushstrokes energise the entire surface of this painting, creating an almost shimmering effect across the rippling water.

The only formal pupil of French modernist painter Edouard Manet, Eva Gonzalès excelled in her portrayals of bourgeois life in 19th century France. The subject matter of her work is often the interior - with a focus on the cloistered life led by middle-class women at this period.

The young woman gazing here at her own reflection is in fact Eva Gonzalès’s younger sister, Jeanne Gonzalès. Jeanne was her sister's constant model throughout her artistic career and was also an artist in her own right.