Impressionism: A Feminist Reading: The Gendering of Art, Science, and Nature in the Nineteenth Century

Why and how the author wrote the book is as interesting reading as the book itself. Norma Broude came to realize Impressionism as a subjective art and the fact that is was seen as objective and scientific bothered her. This led to an awareness of myths, misconceptions and the role of gender bias. In Part I she brings out the many continuities between Romanticism and Impressionism. In Part II she reviews much of the scientific and fomalist critical thought of the late 19th century. In Part III, she discusses "feminine gendering" of Impressionism in the late 19th century and it's "Masculinization" in modern times. I learned some important issues about art criticism and its personalities as Ms. Broude explains the positions of several prominent art critics and social historians. If you can manage the author's very academic style, and bear with her occasional sarcastic anger, this is a very scholarly and worthwhile read for anyone interested in art or sociology. It will really make you think and hopefully broaden your appreciation of concepts not usually addressed in the study of art.

This book did more for my understanding of the magnitude of the number of ways about thinking about art than any other. Broude is able to clearly and coherently explain how standard readings of 19th Century art ignores gender. This is a must-read for anyone who desires to understand the answer to the question'what is a feminist reading?'