The Artist Herself: Self-Portraits by Canadian Historical Women Artist

The Artist Herself catalogue co-published with the Art Gallery of Hamilton includes an introductory essay by Alicia Boutilier and Tobi Bruce, as well as in-depth entries on individual works and themes by 35 invited specialists. A stunningly illustrated look at the ways in which women artists have given profound expression to their identities from colonial times to 1970. From Pauline Johnson’s performance costumes representing her dual Mohawk and Euro-Canadian identity to Emily Carr’s painting of herself from the back at her easel, from Hannah Maynard’s playful photographs of her multiple selves to Pitseolak Ashoona’s sly comment on her participation in the Inuit art market, this publication brings to light a rich but unexplored aspect of women’s lives in Canadian society.

Drawing upon our fascination with self-portraits, The Artist Herself expands the genre’s definition by moving beyond the human face to propose other forms of self-representation, from both settler and Indigenous perspectives. The result is a thought-provoking selection of works by 42 women artists in a range of media, including paintings, textiles, photographs and film. Both renowned and lesser-known artists are featured, notably, Pitseolak Ashoona, Simone-Mary Bouchard, Emily Carr, Paraskeva Clark, Alice Egan Hagen, Frances Anne Hopkins, Pauline Johnson, Maud Lewis, Pegi Nicol MacLeod, Hannah Maynard, Daphne Odjig, Princess Louise, Mary Hiester Reid, Shawnawdithit, Martha Eetak, and Margaret Watkins. The main essay is accompanied by in-depth entries on individual works and themes by 35 specialists, along with numerous colour plates. In English and French. Published in conjunction with the third Canadian Women Artists History Initiative conference, marking the 40th anniversary of From Women’s Eyes: Women Painters in Canada, a landmark exhibition in the history of Canadian art organized by the Agnes Etherington Art Centre in 1975, International Women’s Year. Alicia Boutilier is Curator of Canadian Historical Art at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen’s University. Tobi Bruce is Senior Curator of Canadian Historical Art at the Art Gallery of Hamilton.