Women artists

Throughout the centuries women have made significant contributions to natural history art, science and education.

This stunning collection celebrates the work and lives of women artists spanning the last four centuries and is illustrated with a selection of exquisite artworks from the unrivalled collections held in the Library of the Natural History Museum. The book features specially selected artworks by women from the seventeenth century onwards.

The artists share a fascination and enthusiasm for the natural world and together their work combines to cover a broad range of different techniques and subject matters.There are fine butterfly drawings by accomplished natural history illustrator Margaret Fountaine, vivid illustrations of Indian natural, cultural and social history by Olivia Tonge, and detailed bird images by Elizabeth Gould, who married highly regarded ornithologist John Gould and produced over 600 illustrations for her husband's publications.

Featuring celebrated artworks and rarely-seen gems, this book serves up a visual feast of the never ending wonders of the natural world and the significant role that women have played in observing and documenting it.