Women in the Ateneo de Madrid: pioneers, ateneists and artists

Abstract

The process of incorporation and visibility of women in the associative structure and management of the Ateneo de Madrid was a gradual one that materialized in the first third of the 20th century. During this time, women began to link their intellectual activity both as members and in the cultural life of the institution. Figures such as the painter Madame Anselma, the writer Emilia Pardo Bazán, or the lawyer Clara Campoamor were pioneers in a cultural entity built by and for men. The presence of women as artists was scarce; however, some managed to exhibit their work in the exhibition halls of the so-called learned house, achieving not only recognition from their male colleagues but also the visibility of women as artists and the respect, or lack thereof, of the critics. Unfortunately, others were inexplicably marginalized.