International Women Artists and War, 1560–2023

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, self-taught artists have told equally compelling stories in their works. Whether working in a studio or on the battlefield, the women’s professionalism and dedication allowed them to convey the impact of war powerfully.

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.

Deborah A. Deacon
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 328
Bibliographic Info: 54 photos (17 in color), appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9290-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5385-3
Imprint: McFarland

List of Acronyms ix
Preface 1
Introduction 3
Chapter One. Support for the War Effort 21
Chapter Two. Opposition to War and the Desire for Peace 58
Chapter Three. Documentation of the Impacts of War 100
Between pages 150 and 151 are 12 color plates containing 17 photographs
Chapter Four. Commemoration and Memorialization 151
Chapter Five. Representations of Those Who Fight 184
Chapter Six. The Art of Children 228
Conclusion 255
Appendix A: Artists by Country of Origin 261
Appendix B: List of Countries and Number of Artists 266
Chapter Notes 269
Bibliography 287
Index 299

“Artistic depictions of war have long been a part of human culture, but the contributions of women, artists have often been ignored. Art historian and former U.S. Navy commander Deacon notes that ‘scholarship on women’s roles in war and on depictions of war has begun to expand.’ One example is this carefully researched and richly detailed look at women artists and their responses to war. …stunning color plates…[a] welcome addition to art history, a volume that fills in long-standing gaps in the literature.”—Booklist