Women, Aging, and Art

Thought-provoking, engrossing, and filled with intriguing information that sparks illuminating insights, this richly illustrated volume is a major contribution to the emerging field of scholarship on the positions and depictions of aging females in diverse societies. Contributors examine cultures in which old women are regarded as significant sources of wisdom and power; they also explain the contexts for widespread stereotypes of old women, elsewhere, as physically repulsive, powerless, and/or simply invisible. Essays demonstrate how visual art has reinforced these varying attitudes across different centuries and societies and introduce the work of artists who have challenged negative stereotypes through a variety of means, including nude self-portraits of the aging female body. In this fascinating, important, and innovative book, the authors fearlessly tackle controversial issues, find humor in surprising places, and convincingly argue that aged women can, and should, be viewed as wise, powerful, creative, and—yes, beautiful. * Nancy G. Heller, Professor of Art History, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, USA * It reveals as much insight into the at times conflicting and contrasting approaches to art historical method as it provides material for comparative analysis from a global and largely decolonized perspective. * Woman's Art Journal * A fascinating exploration of a little discussed subject … The book is a revelation, one that opens up new vistas for both art history and age studies. * Julia Twigg, Professor of Social Policy & Sociology, University of Kent, UK *