Why do so few people know the names and works of Artemisia Gentileschi or Rosalba Carriera? Art history has poorly and inadequately documented the work of these two talented artists, who nonetheless played an important role in Italian culture and society.

As it neglected them, it often reduced other women to mere muses or models, denying them recognition in painting or sculpture and overlooking their skills, creativity, expressive space, and access to workshops or academies. In the age-old struggle against gender disparity and discrimination, art (as a collective heritage) has lost a great deal.