'Old Mistresses - Women, Art and Ideology' by Rozsika Parker and Griselda Pollock

Historical Significance

‘Old Mistresses’ is a text that aims to discover, through looking at historical, psychological, and ideological factors, why women hold a secondary place in the art field. The authors seek to confront the patriarchal principles within the art sphere and look at ways in which they can be eradicated through a deconstruction of art history. This book is extremely important for feminist art history, and indeed, the history of art as a whole, as it discusses a topic that had not been looked at in great depth before. Books which discussed the history of art tended to ignore women artists, or see them as playing a minor role, often stereotyping their art in terms of ‘femininity’. For example a famous work on the history of art by Gombrich, entitled ‘Story of Art’ does not mention any women artists. The 20th Century saw works discussing women artists being more widely published, although, as Parker and Pollock point out these books do not address the reasons why women have been ignored, merely trying to add them in to the history of art, which Parker and Pollock believe to be conforming to traditional, patriarchal modes of art history. Although some critics, such as Alloway, suggest that Parker and Pollock still cannot get away from writing like traditional art historians, the book certainly puts forward and expands on ideas that had not been touched on before.
Gill Perry in ‘Gender and Art’ describes Old Mistresses as ‘enormously influential’ as it questions pre-existing structures within art history. She explains how art historians in the 1980’s ‘sought to unpick existing and patriarchal definitions of greatness.’ Old Mistresses points out that the way art is defined as good or bad is dictated by patriarchal values and this should be re-addressed. For a topic such as ‘Gender and Art,’ Old Mistresses is useful as it provides the reader with the history and theory of women’s involvement in art upon which other writers can expand on, in this instance, the subject of gender.
From looking at the catalogue of works that cite Old Mistresses, it is clear to see that it is extremely influential to other writers, especially those who are concerned with subjects ranging from specific women in art, to topics concerning art education. Old Mistresses is important to art education as it raises issues that art students should be aware of. The history of women’s art is a matter that has to be studied so to understand the issues surrounding contemporary art and Old Mistresses provides a comprehensive view of this. Old Mistresses also covers a range of broader topics, such as craft and design, and other writers discussing such matters have used Parker and Pollock’s views on the feminine stereotype attached to craft as a reference.
Old Mistresses is an extremely significant book for art history as it raises the important subject of women’s misrepresentation and dismissal in art, a topic that every art historian should be aware of as women’s art is equally important as men’s and therefore it’s history should not be ignored. This book has influenced other writers concerned with similar topics as it gives the essential theories and ideologies behind the patriarchal oppression of women in art, which can then be built upon and explored in further detail.