The work traces the presence and production of women in the visual arts from antiquity through medieval and Renaissance periods into the nineteenth century, offering historical surveys alongside concise biographical sketches. It emphasizes the media commonly pursued by women such as manuscript illumination, miniatures, portraiture, and sculpture, and examines the social, religious, and institutional constraints they faced, including limits on training and patronage. The author outlines individual careers and artistic methods while surveying how opportunities and public reception for women artists evolved across different schools and regions.