Catherine McCormack’s Women in the Picture profoundly reframes how we perceive women in art. From Venus to the Monstrous Woman, McCormack uncovers persistent archetypes that structure our visual culture, revealing how seemingly timeless masterpieces actually participate in shaping desire, power, and representation.



As an art historian and practicing artist, this book resonated deeply with me and inspired my series The Gaze Reclaimed, which celebrates women artists who reclaimed visibility for themselves and their subjects.



Timestamps



00:00 Introduction – Changing the way we see00:12 Why Women in the Picture struck me deeply00:33 How representation shapes perception00:48 The roots of The Gaze Reclaimed series01:13 Building Brushstrokes of Being Studio02:05 Catherine McCormack’s contribution to art history and feminist critique03:12 The four archetypes – Venus, Mother, Maidens & Dead Damsels, and Monstrous Women04:28 Archetypes from the Renaissance to the digital age05:17 The illusion of liberation in contemporary culture06:02 Rethinking Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring07:25 The myth of perfection and the camera obscura08:42 The female gaze and the reenactment of desire09:33 Why McCormack’s writing matters today10:14 “Images are never innocent” – the politics of representation11:08 Seeing differently: art as transformation



I also share updates on Brushstrokes of Being Studio, where mini-courses on colour theory are currently available. Explore them today or join the waiting list for the full launch this November.




https://onlineartseducation.co.uk/course/palettes-mixing-skin-colours/



https://onlineartseducation.co.uk/course/colour-harmony-family-temperature-contrast/



https://onlineartseducation.co.uk/course/hues-values-chroma/



https://onlineartseducation.co.uk/course/the-colour-wheel-explained/



https://onlineartseducation.co.uk/course/a-brief-history-of-colour-free/



https://mailchi.mp/a5dd5098f749/waiting-list-brushstrokes-of-being-studion