Women Artists in Denmark 1880-1910: In Search of the Modern follows a number of female Danish artists who rebelled against the notion that art was a male-dominated discipline. They attended Georg Brandes’ lectures, discarded their corsets, and experimented with new artistic expressions. They were not merely spectators of the Modern Breakthrough in Scandinavia: they actively participated in it.

By examining the period’s literature, photographs, satire, and art, this book demonstrates how these artists interpreted modernity, portrayed one another, and explored the dynamics between the sexes. Featuring more than 100 artworks, the book provides new perspectives on modernity, rescuing from the obscurity of art history an entire generation of female artists who, until now, have been known primarily through the paintings of Anna Ancher, Marie Krøyer, Agnes Slott-Møller, and Bertha Wegmann.

Contributions by: Sara Alfort, Lone Kølle Martinsen, Mette Sandbye