{{Short description|British art historian, broadcaster, writer and curator}} {{Infobox writer | name = Katy Hessel | birth_date = 1994 | birth_place = London | image = Katy Hessel, Sep. 2024.png | occupation = Writer, art historian, broadcaster | notable_works = The Story of Art Without Men (2022) | caption = Hessel in 2024 }}
'''Katy Hessel''' is a British art historian, broadcaster, writer and curator, living in London, whose work is concerned with women artists.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Louis |last1=Wise |access-date=2022-09-28 |title=Meet the women leading the art world, including the directors of Tate and Frieze |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/art/article/meet-the-women-leading-the-art-world-including-the-directors-of-tate-and-frieze-wd6fnv530 |issn=0140-0460 |website=The Times}}</ref>
==Early life== Hessel was born and raised in London. She attended Westminster School.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of Art |url=https://www.westminster.org.uk/academic-life/departments/art-history/ |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=Westminster School |language=en-GB}}</ref> She studied art history at University College London.<ref name="trinitynews">{{cite web | url=http://trinitynews.ie/2020/11/careers-in-the-arts-katy-hessel-and-the-great-women-artists-podcast-2/ | title=Careers in the Arts: Katy Hessel and the Great Women Artists podcast | date=12 November 2020|website=trinitynews.ie}}</ref>
==Career==
=== Writing === Hessel writes on the subject of women artists for various publications.
She has written and presented the BBC arts documentaries ''Artemisia Gentileschi'' (2020)<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2022-09-28|title=BBC Four - Inside Museums, Series 1, Artemisia Gentileschi|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000ng7w|website=BBC}}</ref> and ''Art on the BBC: Monet'' (2022).<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2022-09-28|title=BBC Four - Art on the BBC, Series 2, Monet - The French Revolutionary|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0013mb3|website=BBC}}</ref>
In September 2022, Hessel published the book ''The Story of Art Without Men'', a 500-year survey of art created by women from the 1500s to 2020s.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|access-date=2022-09-28|title=The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel review – putting women back in the picture|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/sep/11/the-story-of-art-without-men-by-katy-hessel-review-putting-women-back-in-the-picture|date=11 September 2022|website=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Laura|last1=Freeman|access-date=2022-09-28|title=The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel review — if you can't name 20 women artists, read this|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/the-story-of-art-without-men-by-katy-hessel-review-tsgq2crpx|issn=0140-0460|website=The Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|access-date=2022-09-28|title=The Story of Art Without Men — a plea for overlooked female artists|url=https://www.ft.com/content/de645352-6000-441d-aefc-e86c18670c16|newspaper=Financial Times|date=22 September 2022}}</ref><ref>https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/books/book-review-a-story-of-art-without-men-by-katy-hessel-3859947</ref> Hessel decided to write this book after visiting an art fair in 2015, where none of the artworks on display were by women, which also made her reflect on her own lack of knowledge of female artists.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Who’s Afraid of Katy Hessel?|url=https://www.frieze.com/article/katy-hessel-how-to-live-an-artful-life-2025-book-review|website=Frieze|date=2025-11-06|access-date=2025-11-27|language=en|first=Lou|last=Selfridge}}</ref> The title is a direct reference to the comprehensive art history book ''The Story of Art'' by E. H. Gombrich, which faced criticism for the omission of female artists.<ref name=":1" /> It won the 2022 Waterstones Book of the Year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shaffi|first=Sarah|date=2022-12-01|title=Paint him out: Katy Hessel's retelling of art history is Waterstones book of the year|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/dec/01/paint-him-out-katy-hessels-retelling-of-art-history-is-waterstones-book-of-the-year|access-date=2022-12-02|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref>
Her work has been criticised for the lack of acknowledgement of feminist art-historical research.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Burlington Contemporary - Articles|url=https://contemporary.burlington.org.uk/articles/articles/celebrating-women-artists-and-forgetting-feminist-art-histories|access-date=2023-03-22|website=contemporary.burlington.org.uk|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Review|first=The Penitent|title=Katy Hessel, The Story of Art Without Men – The Penitent Review|url=https://thepenitentreview.com/2023/03/15/katy-hessel-the-story-of-art-without-men/|access-date=2023-03-22|language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2025, she published her second book ''How to Live an Artful Life'', a book containing quotations and insights from artists for all 366 days of the year.<ref name=":0" /> Lou Selfridge, in ''Frieze'', described the book as "‘Insta inspo’ par excellence."<ref name=":0" />
In March 2026, she will publish her third book, ''The Story of Art without Men: An illustrated guide to amazing women artists,'' an adaptation of the bestselling ''The Story of Art without Men,'' for younger readers''.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Puffin Non-Fiction to publish middle-grade titles by Katy Hessel and Bettany Hughes |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/puffin-non-fiction-to-publish-middle-grade-titles-by-katy-hessel-and-bettany-hughes |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=The Bookseller |language=En}}</ref>
=== Other === She has hosted ''Dior Talks: Feminist Art''.<ref>https://www.christies.com/features/katy-hessel-the-story-of-art-without-men-12585-1.aspx</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://podcasts.dior.com//feminist-art-katy-hessel-talks-to-musical-artist-ioanna-gika-who-performed-at-the-cruise-2022-show-in-athens-greece|title=[Feminist Art] Katy Hessel talks to musical artist Ioanna Gika who performed at the Cruise 2022 show in Athens, Greece|website=Dior Talks}}</ref>
Hessel runs the Great Women Artists Instagram account<ref>{{cite web|first1=George|last1=Douglas-Davies|access-date=2022-09-28|title=the instagram account shining a spotlight on great women artists|url=https://i-d.co/article/the-instagram-account-shining-a-spotlight-on-great-women-artists/|website=i-d.vice.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first1=Frankie|last1=McCoy|access-date=2022-09-28|title=Meet the creative crowd defining the London art world's new zeitgeist|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/esmagazine/the-creators-curators-gallerists-and-fabulists-defining-the-london-art-world-s-new-zeitgeist-a3951391.html|date=4 October 2018|website=Evening Standard}}</ref> and in 2019 created a podcast by the same name in which she interviews art historians, art curators, writers, and art lovers about women artists and also talks to women artists about their work and career.<ref name="trinitynews" />
In 2022, Hessel became a curatorial trustee of Charleston.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2022-09-28|title=Charleston — New members appointed to our Board of Trustees|url=https://www.charleston.org.uk/stories/2022trustees/|website=Charleston}}</ref>
==Awards== *2021: ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 in Art & Culture<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2022-09-28|title=Katy Hessel|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/katy-hessel/|website=Forbes}}</ref> *2022: Winner of Waterstones Book of the Year for ''The Story of Art Without Men<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-10-28 |title=Waterstones Book of the Year shortlist announced |url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2022/10/28/222604/waterstones-book-of-the-year-shortlist-announced/ |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=Books+Publishing |language=en-AU}}</ref>''
==Publications== *(2022) ''The Story of Art Without Men.'' London. Penguin Group. {{ISBN|978-1-5291-5114-5}}<ref>{{cite news|first1=Rachel|last1=Campbell-Johnston|access-date=2022-09-28|title=The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel — history reborn|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/art/article/the-story-of-art-without-men-by-katy-hessel-history-reborn-gl2jc38k2|issn=0140-0460|website=The Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first1=Obi|last1=Jilani|access-date=2022-09-28|title=I can't wait to give Katy Hessel's The Story Of Art Without Men to my teenage daughter|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/the-story-of-art-without-men-by-katy-hessel-review-i-cant-wait-to-give-this-to-my-teenage-daughter-1814807|date=25 August 2022|website=inews.co.uk}}</ref> *(2025) ''How to Live an Artful Life''. London. Hutchinson Heinemann. {{ISBN|978-1-5291-5520-4}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=AnOther |date=2025-11-05 |title=Katy Hessel’s New Book Teaches Us How to Live More Like Artists |url=https://www.anothermag.com/design-living/16766/art-historian-katy-hessel-how-to-live-an-artful-life-book-interview |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=AnOther |language=en}}</ref> *(2026) ''The Story of Art without Men: An illustrated guide to amazing women artists.'' London. Puffin. {{ISBN|978-0-241-73819-1}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Puffin Non-Fiction to publish middle-grade titles by Katy Hessel and Bettany Hughes |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/puffin-non-fiction-to-publish-middle-grade-titles-by-katy-hessel-and-bettany-hughes |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=The Bookseller |language=En}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Wikiquote}} *[https://www.thegreatwomenartists.com Hessel's bio on the Great Women Artists site] *{{Instagram|thegreatwomenartists}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hessel, Katy}} Category:Living people Category:1990s births Category:21st-century English writers Category:21st-century English women writers Category:Alumni of University College London Category:British women art historians Category:British women podcasters Category:British podcasters Category:Historians from London Category:Mass media people from London Category:People educated at Westminster School, London Category:Writers from London Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
{{UK-writer-stub}}