Historically, women artists have been the trailblazers of their age. I will discuss some of these amazing women and their achievements.

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689-1762) was a British aristocrat, writer, poet, and medical pioneer. She made her mark in history by discovering a vaccine for smallpox, thereby inoculating Britain and Western Europe.

Irish writer and satirist Jonathan Swift (author of "Gulliver’s Travels") wrote a poem "The Lady's Dressing Room" published in 1732, criticizing the habits of women. Lady Montagu was personally insulted and published a response to Mr. Swift's poem.

French portraiture painter Elisabeth Vigre Le Brun aka Madame Le Brun (1755-1842) was the court painter and created 30+ portraits of Marie Antoinette and her family. "Marie Antoinette with a Rose" (1783) can be seen at the Palace of Versailles, France.

Marietta Robusti Tintoretto, the daughter of Venetian master Tintoretto was known as a "buona ritrattista" or "good portraitist" in Venice and beyond. Her "Dama Veneciana" is from the second half of the XVI century and can be seen at Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain.

Italian Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi created paintings from a female perspective. That is what sets her apart from her male counterparts. Her work "Judith Slaying Holofernes" (1612-1613) can be seen at the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.

Lucia Anguissola (1536-1565) was an Italian Mannerist artist of the late Renaissance. A lesser-known daughter of Amilcare and Bianca Anguissola, Lucia left few works as she died young. Her painting "Pietro Manna, Physician from Cremona" (1557) can be found at the Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain.

Lucia's oldest sister Sofonisba (1532-1625) left her mark in art history by being recognized as one of the first women artists to achieve international fame. She excelled in portraiture (self-portraits and of her family).

Adelaide Labille-Guiard aka Adelaide Labille-Guiard des Vertus was a French miniaturist, portrait painter and art teacher who believed in equal opportunity for both men and women in the arts. Her art patrons included the daughters of Louis XV, known as Mesdames de France.

Plautilla Nelli (1524-1588) was a nun and self-taught artist. She hails as the first woman artist from the Italian Renaissance whose illustrious body of work has survived to this day. She is the only woman known to have painted the "Last Supper."

Elisabeth of Valois aka Elisabeth of France (1545-1568) was the Queen of Spain, third wife of Phillip of Spain. At her wedding, she met artists Sofonisba Anguissola and Ana de Mendoza, who would live with her until her death at age 23. Elisabeth was an amateur artist, but her skills were improved after receiving training from Anguissola.