Women in the Picture

What Culture Does with Female Bodies

By: Catherine McCormack

Narrated by: Patty Nieman

Art historian Catherine McCormack challenges how culture teaches us to see and value women, their bodies, and their lives.

Venus, maiden, wife, mother, monster—women have been bound so long by these restrictive roles, codified by patriarchal culture, that we scarcely see them. Catherine McCormack illuminates the assumptions behind these stereotypes whether writ large or subtly hidden. She ranges through Western art—think Titian, Botticelli, and Millais—and the image-saturated world of fashion photographs, advertisements, and social media, and boldly counters these depictions by turning to the work of women artists like Morisot, Ringgold, Lacy, and Walker, who offer alternative images for exploring women’s identity, sexuality, race, and power in more complex ways.

Critic reviews

Women in the Picture mounts a sensitive and probing critique of the motifs, the preordained poses and affectations of the female figure in art. If feminism aspires to render itself obsolete, McCormack’s project too yearns for a future when critiquing such postures...will no longer be necessary. —Jasmine Sanders, New York Times Book Review

A passionate, serious, yet often entertaining introduction to issues that will be with us for the foreseeable future, their historic context and their implications for women.—Cathryn Keller, Washington Post

McCormack moves seamlessly between feminism's academic and popular iterations…Women in the Picture gave me new ways to think about feminist art and feminist art history…[E]legant, precise, inviting. —Kimberly Lann, Women's Art Journal

[An] illuminating look at how women's bodies have been depicted in the arts…This eye-opening work will leave readers with plenty to ponder.—Publishers Weekly (starred)

A timely, succinct, aesthetic inquiry into debates about sexuality, objectification, and representation.—Kirkus Reviews

On this grand tour of western visual culture, you couldn’t ask for a better guide.—Bridget Quinn, author of Broad Strokes

Catherine McCormack succeeds in the nearly impossible task of discussing both the representation of women throughout the history of art as well as how women artists have challenged these male-centric images.—Kathy Battista, author of New York New Wave

The art book we’ve all been waiting for.—Helen Gørrill, author of Women Can’t Paint

I’m glad this book was written because it felt like the scales were falling from my eyes as I read it.—Jan Patience, Herald

Fantastic book!

Very clear explanation about the representation of women in our society, and its social and political consequences.
Great book.

Brillant and much needed insights

Most people don’t think much about what art is saying - they often just enjoy it and love to the next painting. This book can open your eyes to d’épée meaning.

An excellent listen!

First of all, Patty Nieman’s delivery is perfection! Listening to her confident and warm voice helped take in all the frustrating and accurate thoughts in this book.

The in-depth details, passionate history and truth

I absolutely loved this book! It is fascinating to me to learn about art and this really taught me so much of the view and power art has towards women. The author did such an amazing job with this!