American Art: Lesbian, Nineteenth Century.

According to cultural and art historians, the notions of "lesbian art" or "lesbian artist" did not exist prior to 1970. However, lesbian artists certainly existed and worked in the nineteenth century, their accomplishments all the more remarkable for the obstacles they faced both as women and as homosexuals. The reasons for their relative obscurity are easily apparent--serious women artists of any stripe were an anomaly in the nineteenth century, and sexism and homophobia in the arts mirrored that of the rest of the culture.