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Self portrait in a Straw Hat by Elisabeth Louise Vigée Lebrun Photo sourced from

15 Most Famous Female Painters of All Time 

As far as art is concerned women have been part and parcel of the making and the history of art, although women artists have been involved in the making of art throughout history, their work, when compared to that of their male counterparts, has been often obfuscated, overlooked and undervalued.

They have however continued to impress and contribute to the creation of art throughout the world over the years. Let’s take a look at some of the most famous female painters of all time;

1. Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (1755–1842)

Self portrait in a Straw Hat by Elisabeth Louise Vigée Lebrun Photo sourced from

One of the very first names in our list of famous female painters is Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun, who was born on 16 April 1755 and died on 30 March 1842. She is also known as Madame Le Brun, and was a French portrait painter, especially of women, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

She is a painter known for painting around 660 portraits and 220 landscapes in her long career–which started with the intervention of the young Queen Marie Antoinette. Her painting style resonates with the theatrical Rococo style and more restrained neoclassical period.

Read more about her in 20 Famous Women Artists who were Better Than Men

2. Sofonisba Anguissola (1535–1625)

Self portrait of Sofonisba Anguissola Photo sourced from

Sofonisba Anguissola born in 1532 and died on 16 November 1625, was an Italian Renaissance painter who was born in Cremona into a relatively poor noble family. She received a well-rounded education that included the fine arts.

One of the most accomplished female painters of the 15th century, known for her Italian Renaissance-style portraits largely commissioned by royals and nobles. She was the first woman to receive formal artistic training, and soon made a name for herself.

3. Elenore Plaisted Abbott (1875-1935)

Elenore Plaisted Abbott born in 1875–1935) was an American book illustrator, scenic designer, and painter. She illustrated early 20th-century editions of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Robinson Crusoe, and Kidnapped. She is one of the most famous painters of all time and her works are saved in several museums across the world.

She was among a group of New Women who sought educational and professional opportunities for women, including creating professional art associations like The Plastic Club to promote their work. Some of her works include; Endymion and the Nereids, The Fairy Tale, Kerfol, and The Mother.

4. Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986)

Photo of Georgia O’Keeffe Photo sourced from

Georgia O’Keeffe is arguably the most well-known female artist in American history. Her legacy of abstract art continues to impact artists of our time, earning her the title of “Mother of America several” from several reviewers.

Her work includes anything from New York City skyscrapers to American western landscapes, but she is most recognized for her big, provocative paintings of flowers and skulls. She is one of the most important people in the art world and one who the art world cannot forget.

Read more about her in Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Georgia O’Keeffe

5. Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón famously known as just Frida Kahlo born on  6 July 1907 and died on 13 July 1954 was a Mexican painter known for her portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexican nature. Her works were inspired by the country’s popular culture

She employed a naïve folk art style to explore questions of identity, postcolonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society. She is one of the few females who went against all odds to be a successful painter and her paintings often had strong autobiographical elements and mixed realism with fantasy.

6. Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011)

When we look at some of the most tops in the world. Helen Frankenthaler stands out as one of the major contributors to the evolution of post-war American art.

Her career has learned beyond expectations, or more than 60 years, this abstract expressionist painter exhibited her works and influenced the artwork of generations of painters. Her claim to fame is her unique method of staining the canvas in thin color layers 

7. Yayoi Kusama (1929)

Yayoi Kusama, born on  22 March 1929 is a Japanese contemporary artist who works primarily in sculpture and installation and is also active in painting, performance, video art, fashion, poetry, fiction, and other arts.

Her work is based on conceptual art and shows some attributes of feminism, minimalism, surrealism, Art Brut, pop art, and abstract expressionism, and is infused with autobiographical, psychological, and sexual content.

Read more about her here

8. Faith Ringhold (1930) 

American artist Faith Ringgold Photo sourced from

Faith Ringgold born on October 8, 1930, in Harlem, New York City is an American painter, writer, mixed media sculptor, and performance artist, best known for her narrative quilts and also known mostly for her ability to address isn’t afraid to address tough subjects.

These subjects include;  feminism, politics, and activities in her colorful abstract paintings, quilts, mixed media sculptures, and children’s books. Her brightly colored works are narrative representations of her beliefs with inspiration from past and present historical events. 

9. Marina Abramovich (1946 )

Marina Abrahmovi born on November 30, 1946, is Serbian American painter and performance artist, who has had several works to her named and saved in several museums across the world.

Marina Abramovich invites observers to participate in exploring the limits of the mind and body. In addition to her performance art, she uses her own body as a canvas to confront the pain and the limitations of the human body in what is known as body art. 

10. Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1656)

A Selfportrait of Artemisia Gentileschi Photo sourced from

Artemisia Lomi or Artemisia Gentileschi born on 8th July 1593 and died in c. 1656 was an Italian Baroque painter.  Gentileschi is considered among the most accomplished seventeenth-century artists, initially working in the style of Caravaggio and starting her career as earlier as age 15.

She grew up and started her career in an era when women had few opportunities to pursue artistic training or work as professional artists. She could go on to become the first woman to become a member of the Accademia di Arte del Disegno in Florence and she had an international clientele.

Read more about her in Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Artemisia Gentileschi

11. Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979)

Sonia Delaunay born on 13 November 1885 and died on  5th December 1979 was a French artist, who spent most of her working life in Â鶹APP. She could later expand her practice to include textile, fashion, and set design. In 1975 was named an officer of the French Legion of Honor

She was a co-founder of the Orphism art movement, noted for its use of stroncolorsrs and geometric shapes, with her husband Robert Delaunay and others. She was the first living female artist to have a retrospective exhibition at the Louvre in 1964.

12. Bridget Riley (1931)

Bridget Louise Riley CH CBE born on 24 April 1931 is an English painter known for her distinctive, optically vibrant paintings, called “Op Art” in which she explores optical phenomena and juxtaposes color either by using a chromatic technique of identifiable hues or by selecting achromatic colors (black, white or gray).

 She has won several awards in her career including being named a Companion of Honour in 1998 and an inning on the Japan Society’s Praemium Imperiale for painting in 2003. She was also elected a foreign honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2006.

13. Chloe Wise (1990)

Chloe Wise born on December 6, 1990, is a Canadian artist based in New York City who is famous for her works in sculpture, drawing, video art, and oil painting. Wise is known for her stylized and humorous approach to both still life and figurative paintings

Her paintings also incorporate intimate depictions of food trends, agriculture, consumer culture, friends, and muses. Her painting La Riviera (2019), commissioned by Simon Porte Jacquemus, depicts young women in clothes from the fashion designer’s 2019 collection.

14. Christina Quarles (1985)

Christina Quarles in born 1985 is a contemporary American artist living and working in Los Angeles. Her works are gestural, abstract paintings that confront themes of racial and sexual identities, gender, and queerness

She began painting at a very tender age and has since grown to become one of the most famous painters. During high school, she developed skills and learned techniques from her teacher Joseph Gatto that she still uses. 

15. Jennifer Saville

Jennifer Anne Saville RA born on 7th May 1970 is a contemporary British painter and an original member of the Young British Artists. Saville is famously known for her large-scale painted depictions of nude women.

Saville has been credited with originating a new and challenging method of painting the female nude and reinventing figure painting for contemporary art. Some of her works include; Branded (1992), plan (1993), and closed contact (1995-1996).