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Mary Garrard
Born 1937 (age 87–88)
Nationality American
Education Johns Hopkins University
Harvard University
Occupation Art historian
Notable work
Artemisia Gentileschi: The Image of the Female Hero in Italian Baroque Art (1989)
The Power of Feminist Art: The American Movement of the 1970s, History and Impact (1996)
Awards Lifetime Achievement Award, Women's Caucus for Art (2005)
Scientific career
Institutions American University

Mary DuBose Garrard (born in 1937) is an American art historian. She is a retired professor from American University. She is known as one of the people who helped start "feminist art theory." This is a way of looking at art history that focuses on women artists and women's experiences.

Mary Garrard is especially famous for her work on the Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Artemisia was a very important female artist from the 1600s.

Her Journey in Education

Mary Garrard studied at several top universities. She earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), in 1958. This was from H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College.

She then went on to get her Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in 1960. This degree was from Harvard University.

Later, she earned her highest degree, a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), in 1970. She completed her Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University. Her studies focused on art history.

Making a Mark in Art History

From 1974 to 1976, Mary Garrard was the national president of the Women’s Caucus for Art. This group supports women in the arts. It helps them get recognized and succeed.

Mary Garrard started writing about feminist art in the 1970s. She wrote articles like "Of Men, Women and Art: Some Historical Reflections." This article appeared in Art Journal in 1976.

She also wrote "Feminism: Has It Changed Art History?" for Heresies in 1978. These writings helped shape how people think about women in art.

Mary Garrard often worked with another art historian, Norma Broude. Together, they wrote and edited several important books about art history. They also organized an art show called Claiming Space: Some American Feminist Originators in 2007. This show featured works by important American feminist artists.

Important Books and Writings

Mary Garrard has written many influential books. Her books often focus on women artists and feminist ideas in art.

  • Artemisia Gentileschi: The Image of the Female Hero in Italian Baroque Art (Princeton University Press, 1989), ISBN: 9780691002859
  • Artemisia Gentileschi Around 1622: The Shaping and Reshaping of an Artistic Identity (University of California Press, 2001), ISBN: 9780520228412
  • Brunelleschi's Egg: Nature, Art, and Gender in Renaissance Italy (University of California Press, 2010), ISBN: 9780520261525
  • Artemisia Gentileschi and Feminism in Early Modern Europe (Reaktion, 2020), ISBN: 9781789142020

Books with Norma Broude

She also co-authored several books with Norma Broude. These books explore how feminism has changed art history.

  • Feminism and Art History: Questioning the Litany (Harper & Row, 1982), ISBN: 9780064301176
  • The Expanding Discourse: Feminism and Art History (Icon Editions, 1992), ISBN: 9780064302074
  • The Power of Feminist Art: The American Movement of the 1970s, History and Impact (Harry N. Abrams, 1996), ISBN: 9780810926592
  • Reclaiming Female Agency: Feminist Art History after Postmodernism (University of California Press, 2005), ISBN: 9780520242524
  • Claiming Space: Some American Feminist Originators (American University, 2007)

Awards and Recognition

Mary Garrard has received many awards for her important work. These awards recognize her contributions to art history and feminist studies.

  • In 2005, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Women’s Caucus for Art.
  • American University alumni voted her as the professor who most influenced their lives in 2002. She received the Faculty Legacy Award.
  • In 2000, she and Norma Broude received an award from the College Art Association. This was for their "pioneering feminist scholarship."
  • She was given an honorary doctorate degree in 1999 by Millsaps College.
  • In 1995, she and Norma Broude won the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award.
  • She also received the Mid-Career Achievement Award from the National Women’s Caucus for Art in 1991.
  • Her university, American University, recognized her for outstanding scholarship in 1990. They also honored her for outstanding teaching in 1989.

Mary Garrard also received several grants and fellowships. These helped her with her research and writing. For example, she was a Fulbright scholar in Italy in 1963–64. She also received support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the J. Paul Getty Foundation.

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