Woman Collectors and the early reception of Impressionism

Women were trailblazers in championing Impressionism, shaping its early reception and ensuring its lasting legacy but their crucial role as tastemakers has often been overlooked. Louisine Havemeyer and Bertha Palmer in the USA, Helen Kröller in the Netherlands, and the Davies sisters and Elizabeth Workman in Britain played pivotal roles in elevating Impressionist art. This month’s lecture from Frances Fowle, senior curator in the National Galleries of Scotland, delves into their remarkable contributions and examines how women’s influence has been ‘erased’ from collecting history.