"A visual journey into a largely forgotten but rich vein in Canada's cultural legacy." Independent Spirit celebrates women artists in Canada from the eighteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Drawing on rarely seen paintings in private collections, as well as exquisite pieces from public galleries, A.K. Prakash offers a unique and inspired selection of work by women artists who changed the face of Canadian art. In Part I, seventy-seven works of art by thirty-six artists are presented in detail, each with a stunning full-page colour image and an incisive analysis and appreciation of the work. In Part II, in-depth biographies feature additional full-colour images and details of the artwork to illustrate each artist's approach and distinctive technique. The first definitive book on the subject, Independent Spirit includes an annotated index of 564 early Canadian women artists and a comprehensive bibliography, with selected resources for each of the thirty-six artists profiled in Parts I and II. Invaluable to collectors and scholars alike, this unrivalled resource will be essential reading for anyone interested in Canadian art. Artists featured in Independent Spirit: Emily Carr Florence Carlyle Paraskeva Clark Emily Coonan Rody Kenny Courtice Kathleen Daly Mary Bell Eastlake Marcelle Ferron Mary Riter Hamilton Prudence Heward Frances Anne Hopkins Yvonne McKague Housser Simone Hudon-Beaulac Frances Jones Maud Lewis Mabel Lockerby Marion Long Laura Muntz Lyall Pegi Nicol MacLeod Margaret Campbell MacPherson Mabel May Florence McGillivray Helen McNicoll Kathleen Moir Morris Lilias Torrance Newton Sophie Pemberton Christiane Pflug Sarah Robertson Anne Savage Charlotte Schreiber Ethel Seath Regina Seiden Henrietta Shore Jori Smith Elizabeth Wyn Wood Florence Wyle