Often written from a male perspective, the dominant narratives of art history have largely ignored the writings of female artists. Yet these varied texts, ranging from diaries to newspaper articles, bear witness to the desires, efforts, struggles and successes of female creators. Drawing on their own words, the podcast “Words of Women Artists” gives voice to their version of history. The unique perspectives revealed allow us to better understand the visual arts, but above all, to renew our understanding of the dynamics of art history.

In this first season, co-produced by AWARE and the Musée d’Orsay, with the support of the FAMM museum, we will listen to the voices of activist artists from the second half of the 19th century. Through their writing, they defended their right to found women-only art societies, to access quality art education, and to compete for the Prix de Rome, among other demands.

This first episode is devoted to Marie Bashkirtseff, whose career was as fleeting and dazzling as a shooting star. For a long time, the artist was best known for having meticulously documented her life in her diary, which spans nearly 19,000 pages. Succumbing to tuberculosis at the age of 25, on the verge of fame, Bashkirtseff left us few works. Some of her paintings have nevertheless become iconic.