We have some knowledge of women artists in ancient days. Few stories of
that time are so authentic as that of Kora, who made the design for the
first bas-relief, in the city of Sicyonia, in the seventh century B. C.
We have the names of other Greek women artists of the centuries
immediately preceding and following the Christian era, but we know little
of their lives and works.

Calypso was famous for the excellence of her character pictures, a
remarkable one being a portrait of Theodorus, the Juggler. A picture
found at Pompeii, now at Naples, is attributed to this artist; but its
authorship is so uncertain that little importance can be attached to it.
Pliny praised Eirene, among whose pictures was one of "An Aged Man" and a
portrait of "Alcisthenes, the Dancer."

In the annals of Roman Art we find few names of women. For this reason
Laya, who lived about a century before the Christian era, is important.
She is honored as the original painter of miniatures, and her works on
ivory were greatly esteemed. Pliny says she did not marry, but pursued
her art with absolute devotion; and he considered her pictures worthy of
great praise.

A large picture in Naples is said to be the work of Laya, but, as in the
case of Calypso, we have no assurance that it is genuine. It is also said
that Laya's portraits commanded larger prices than those of Sopolis and
Dyonisius, the most celebrated portrait painters of their time.

Our scanty knowledge of individual women artists of antiquity--mingled
with fable as it doubtless is--serves the important purpose of proving
that women, from very ancient times, were educated as artists and
creditably followed their profession beside men of the same periods.