6 Female Artists Who Turned Modern Art On Its Head

These often overlooked women helped shape modern art around the world.

This story is part of Women of Impact, a National Geographic project centered around women breaking barriers in their fields, changing their communities, and inspiring action. Join the conversation in our Facebook group.

Despite their mastery and innovation of the arts, the visionary women of the modern art world are rarely discussed in mainstream histories.

“When you look at the way most art history [of the modernist era] has been written, if these women are mentioned, they’re mentioned in passing,” says Deborah Gaston, the director of education and digital engagement at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. “A lot of them are also involved with other artists who are part of that circle. It continues that narrative of them being followers instead of creative innovators in their own right.”

Here are six often overlooked women who had major impacts on the modern art scene.

Born in Ukraine on November 14, 1885, Sara

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