“I’ll show you what a woman can do.” – Artemisia Gentileschi, 1649

How many women artists do you know? Visit any gallery of note and you would be forgiven for coming up blank. Despite the work of activist groups and scholars alike, women are still remarkably absent from the history of art.

Historian and broadcaster Katy Hessel wants to change that. On September 17 she comes to the Intelligence Squared stage in conversation with Pandora Sykes to write women back into art history. Discussing her bestselling book The Story of Art Without Men, she will pay homage to the greats such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Frida Kahlo, Hilma af Klint, Tracey Emin and Kara Walker while also shining a light on lesser known figures such as Lavinia Fontana, thought to be one of the first women in Western art to paint female nudes in 1595.

Spanning over five centuries from the Cornish coast to Manhattan, Nigeria to Japan, this is the story of art for our times – one with women at its heart.

Join us at Union Chapel for an evening of discussion and ask your questions in the Q&A. 

Praise for The Story of Art Without Men

‘[A] positive, beautifully written corrective, […] should become a founding text in the history of art by women.’ Guardian

‘Will change the history of art.’ Tracey Emin

‘Katy Hessel is a brilliant chronicler of the overlooked. I am so thrilled this book exists as an empowering, enlightening guide to the unforgettable vision of these brilliant artists. Essential reading.’ Elizabeth Day