Like many of their male peers, women artists have used their chosen mediums to explore and express their reactions to the violence of war, which they frequently experienced firsthand. The 345 named artists discussed in this book come from diverse backgrounds across hundreds of years. The book divides the 652 covered works of art into five general categories: those that provide support for the war effort, those that oppose war and/or support peace, those that document the impacts of war on the individuals who fight and the civilians who experience it, those that commemorate and memorialize the events and participants in war, and general representations of those who fight.
While most of the women who documented the impact of war on those who experienced it were professional artists, some were self-taught, yet their works tell as compelling a story as those told by the professional artists. Whether working in a studio or on the battlefield, the women's professionalism and dedication allowed them to create powerful stories about the impact of war.
Table of Contents
List of Acronyms
Preface
Introduction
Chapter One. Support for the War Effort
Chapter Two. Opposition to War and the Desire for Peace
Chapter Three. Documentation of the Impacts of War
Between pages 150 and 151 are 12 color plates containing 17 photographs
Chapter Four. Commemoration and Memorialization
Chapter Five. Representations of Those Who Fight
Chapter Six. The Art of Children
Conclusion
Appendix A: Artists by Country of Origin
Appendix B: List of Countries and Number of Artists
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
Deborah A. Deacon is an art historian and retired U.S. Navy commander living in Arizona. She has published numerous articles and books on women artists and war, depictions of military women in film and comics, and Japanese anime and manga.