A reappraisal of the position and work of women artists from the Middle Ages to the present. It examines the way in which women's work has been perceived in the history of Western art - often in direct reference to gender - and re-examines the works themselves. Revisions and new illustrations bring this volume up-to-date, with an additional chapter focusing on issues of identity, class, race and sexuality, many of which are addressed in the work of contemporary artists. Some of those discussed are Rachel Whiteread, Mona Hatoum, Hanna Wilke, Kiki Smith, Sophie Calle and Susan Hiller.