Art history is withering. Art history is flourishing. Which of these statements is true? Very mixed impressions can be gathered from across the United Kingdom, where the future health and reach of the academic discipline is far from clear. Amid all this uncertainty, however, there are some inspiring developments that should be applauded. The life cycle of art history often starts with inspiration when you are young, perhaps through a visit to a collection or from the words of an eloquent teacher. As the readers of this Magazine will be fully aware, such a spark can lead to years of immensely stimulating and demanding study that opens up travel and friendships and new world views, as well as rewarding careers.

For art historians interested in understanding the contributions of women artists to twentieth-century art, this is a most welcome publication. It accompanies a travelling exhibition dedicated to the work of the Spanish artist Rosario de Velasco (1904–91), which opened at the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid. Curated by Toya Viudes de Velasco, the artist’s great-niece, and Miguel Lusarreta, it follows the museum’s retrospective of the realist painter Isabel Quintanilla (1938–2017) and is part of wider efforts in museology to recover forgotten women artists.