The starting point of the project is to examine the opportunities for Nordic women artists to study and work both in their home countries and also abroad, especially in Germany. The main German cities that are important for this project were Düsseldorf, Dresden, Berlin, Munich, Karlsruhe and Weimar.
The approach of this research project is cultural-historical, and the topic is examined from the perspectives of networking, travel, and the movement between the centre and the periphery in various fields in the arts, culture and sciences.
An international research group will be gathered for the project. It aims to trace the progress of the artists of the period, their works and networks, and to present new, lesser-known artists and their works. Another aim is to compare the education and status of women artists in different countries in the period being studied.
The Varhaiset naistaiteilijat (‘Pioneering women artists’) research project was launched at the Ateneum Art Museum, Helsinki, in September 2020. The research project is led by the curator Anne-Maria Pennonen, PhD. The aim is to hold the first international Knowledge Sharing Workshop in the autumn of 2021.
A scientific conference was organized on 28 to 29 September 2023.
