Book excerpt: This title was first published in 2000: Women in the 19th century have long been presented as the angel in the house. The author re-writes this history by investigating the life and working conditions of a number of middle-class women who sought to establish themselves as professional artists in Scotland. Contrary to the orthodox view preoccupied with oppression and difficulty, the author demonstrates that women artists of the period were independent producers, teachers and travellers, alert to changes in taste and fashion. They derived great pleasure from their work, and enjoyed the benefits of women working together, forming their own and joining existing professional associations. The book is not biographical but elaborates on the life and working conditions of middle-class artists by discussing their work in terms of economic and social history.