Who has the better brush stroke?

By Mr. T in DC

Who has the better brush stroke?

        Dali, Picasso, Klimt, de Vinci, Matisse, Rembrant, Monet, Warhol, van Gogh. What do they all have in common? Yes, they are all artists, but what else do they share? The same gender. These were all extraordinarily talented male artists. These men were part of what proved to be powerful and brilliant movements in the world of art. One could ask, “What does being male have to do with it?” In my opinion, being male has everything to do with it. You could look at the relative time frame in which these men created their works of art. It doesn’t take a scientist to see that it was in a time period when women were seen as the lesser of the two sexes.  Therefore, men were given more opportunities, more freedoms, and in turn more chances to express themselves. In the days of de Vinci, men were given the time, skills, and tools; women were not. Men were more educated in that time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that, as people, men are better than women. After all, I am female. I’m simply saying that if you follow history, then you can see the trend.  

   When an artist has a vision, he OR she sees every finite detail. Artists give life to visions. However, how the life is given could come from several different techniques. Men tend to be more stern and rigid, portraying the alpha-male stigma. They see it, they want it, they find a way to get it. Males tend to go more outside of the box than women, who have been more restrained throughout history. It has only been in the past decade that females have had the light shed on them for their creativity. Men have had the spotlight for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years. So, of course there are more works of art illustrated by men than women. But, do we judge by quantity or quality? Majority of people today will say quality. But who sets the standard of quality? Historically, quality has been shown by men, in nearly every department, except for bearing a child. Then again, how is quality judged? The answer is through history. The parameters on which art is judged have been taken from works of art painted by men. Therefore, works painted by women are still judged in the same arena, but with a man’s proverbial eye. Honestly, it doesn’t seem fair, but it is reality. 
   The past decade has proven that women persevere. More female artists have emerged in the past 100 years than ever before. When it comes to artistry, women are just now starting to gain ground on men more than ever. They have only recently started to turn the tide.  It is unfortunate that women have been suppressed and not allowed to express themselves freely. But times are changing. We all are evolving. Women have learned to catch the eyes of men, and in many more fields than sensuality.