Differencing the Canon

Is the canon of art history a sacred collection of the best paintings by the greatest masters, or a construct turning its contents into products of mastery, and defining culture and creativity as essentially European and masculine? The question of the traditional, patriarchal canon, of whether it should be rejected, replaced or reformed, is a debate at the centre of feminist art history. In this book, the author examines the canon's appeal, and explores both the fantasies and desires served by traditional heroic narratives in art history, and those which drive feminist criticism to oppose them.