Until the beginning of the 20th century, women had restricted personal and professional opportunities to make art. They could not officially enroll at all major art schools, draw or paint from the nude model, or travel freely in the US or abroad to see great buildings, paintings, and sculptures. Even at the first US art school that invited women to enroll—the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) in Philadelphia admitted women starting in 1844—women were not allowed to draw from the (still partially covered) male model until 1874. Likewise, with limited legal rights to own and control property, women often had to rely on their husbands, brothers, and fathers to pay for art instruction, buy materials, and finance a studio.

In these circumstances, women artists built strong communities and networks to provide creative and professional support. Women artists taught each other new skills, shared expenses for homes and studios, traveled together both in the US and internationally, modeled for each other, and helped each other find new clients. Above all, they encouraged one another. In a time in which most women were expected to focus only on marrying and raising children, women artists urged each other to also pursue creative and professional success. Featuring paintings of women by women, Framed in Friendship celebrates the relationships between women artists in the 19th and 20th centuries—bonds of professionalism, friendship, family, and romance.

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Generously lent by Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts as part of Art Bridges’ Partner Loan Network.