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Original Sisters: Portraits of Tenacity and Courage
From the internationally acclaimed artist, a stunning collection of portraits of ground-breaking women--Joan of Arc, Josephine Baker, Greta Thunberg, Misty Copeland, and many more history-making women whose names have been forgotten and are finally being brought to light. With a Foreword by Roxane Gay
"This book, as a whole, offers the reader possibility and promise ... You will be introduced to many of these women for the first time, because history is rarely kind to women until it is forced to be. You will learn about artists and activists, rulers and rebels." --Roxane Gay, from the Foreword
Original Sisters was born from the COVID-19 quarantine. In early March 2020, locked down in her home-studio in Toronto and longing for inspiration, artist Anita Kunz started researching women on the Internet. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she soon found an array of astonishing people who had done amazing things--some of whom she had heard of, but most of whom she had not. And then she began to paint their pictures and write down their stories. The result is a jaw-dropping feat of historic and artistic research. The wide variety of lives, occupations, time periods, and achievements is absolutely mind-bending.
From Joan of Arc to Josephine Baker, from Hippolyta to Greta Thunberg, from Anne Frank to Misty Copeland: these women made and changed history. But there are just as many whom you've never heard of, who were never recognized in their lifetimes, whose achievements need to be brought to light. They include the anti-Nazi activist Sophie Scholl, who was executed at age twenty-one by the Third Reich, and Alice Ball, a young African American scientist who discovered a treatment for leprosy but died tragically before she could receive credit for it.
This is not only a breathtaking art book. Original Sisters also recounts a secret history that must be told so that it is a secret no more.
"This book, as a whole, offers the reader possibility and promise ... You will be introduced to many of these women for the first time, because history is rarely kind to women until it is forced to be. You will learn about artists and activists, rulers and rebels." --Roxane Gay, from the Foreword
Original Sisters was born from the COVID-19 quarantine. In early March 2020, locked down in her home-studio in Toronto and longing for inspiration, artist Anita Kunz started researching women on the Internet. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she soon found an array of astonishing people who had done amazing things--some of whom she had heard of, but most of whom she had not. And then she began to paint their pictures and write down their stories. The result is a jaw-dropping feat of historic and artistic research. The wide variety of lives, occupations, time periods, and achievements is absolutely mind-bending.
From Joan of Arc to Josephine Baker, from Hippolyta to Greta Thunberg, from Anne Frank to Misty Copeland: these women made and changed history. But there are just as many whom you've never heard of, who were never recognized in their lifetimes, whose achievements need to be brought to light. They include the anti-Nazi activist Sophie Scholl, who was executed at age twenty-one by the Third Reich, and Alice Ball, a young African American scientist who discovered a treatment for leprosy but died tragically before she could receive credit for it.
This is not only a breathtaking art book. Original Sisters also recounts a secret history that must be told so that it is a secret no more.
308 pages, Hardcover
Published November 9, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 20, 2023
Such a beautiful illustrated book of powerful and intelligent woman of our time. The artist has such a beautiful art style that is quite beautiful. I loved learning of woman I knew of and some I didn’t. Such an inspirational collection of paintings and I hope to see more of this artwork.
January 21, 2022
Each illustration in the collection is paired with one paragraph of text summarizing the individual's significance. Although some are familiar names, many obvious choices are excluded and the collection as a whole is unusually diverse.
Initially, I read the book in the traditional way (left to right) but after a while I realized it was more interesting to study the illustration on the right side first, trying to notice all of the visual clues, and then checking to see if the text on the left confirmed my understanding about time, place, field of accomplishment, etc.
Initially, I read the book in the traditional way (left to right) but after a while I realized it was more interesting to study the illustration on the right side first, trying to notice all of the visual clues, and then checking to see if the text on the left confirmed my understanding about time, place, field of accomplishment, etc.
January 22, 2023
I just finished this Christmas gift from my son John, who became familiar with Kunz's work while touring. The book consists of the artist's portraits of, and a short blurb about, 150 or so women who displayed, in the author's eyes, "tenacity and courage." The art is interesting, and the brief paragraph about each figure sent me to the stacks to learn more about a few of them, many of whom have remained obscure. Despite the explanatory intro. (the forward doesn't say much, by the way), I found myself curious about the inclusion criteria, which seemed arbitrary. I scratched my head over Mary Jo Tallas, a bank robber known for her politeness, for example. And some very famous women were selectively included while others were glaringly absent. Why Gloria Steinem and not Dorothy Day, for example? Well, to each her own. All in all, a nice gift for the right person, and a definite conversation starter. TY.
January 18, 2022
I really enjoyed this.
February 10, 2022
I found this really interesting. You can easily stop reading at any point as there is no narrative thread but I suspect most readers will come back again and again until they have turned all the pages and met all these women.
On the left page you get a single paragraph describing the life and accomplishments of the woman depicted on the right in a full page expressive and individualized portrait painted by Anita Kunz. Some of the 154 women you will recognize, most of them you will not.
You will finish this book marveling at the courage and skill and tenacity and compassion and bawdiness of these women but your even more powerful reaction will be anger and sadness that so many amazing and significant contributions were ignored or dismissed or outright stolen by men.
As the liner notes say, this is a “feat of historic and artistic research. The wide variety of lives, occupations, time periods, and achievements is absolutely mind-bending.”
If I ever have a granddaughter, I will give her this book.
On the left page you get a single paragraph describing the life and accomplishments of the woman depicted on the right in a full page expressive and individualized portrait painted by Anita Kunz. Some of the 154 women you will recognize, most of them you will not.
You will finish this book marveling at the courage and skill and tenacity and compassion and bawdiness of these women but your even more powerful reaction will be anger and sadness that so many amazing and significant contributions were ignored or dismissed or outright stolen by men.
As the liner notes say, this is a “feat of historic and artistic research. The wide variety of lives, occupations, time periods, and achievements is absolutely mind-bending.”
If I ever have a granddaughter, I will give her this book.
October 24, 2021
Covid-19 opened our eyes to many things in 2020, but for Toronto-based artist Anita Kunz quarantine led her to researching the remarkable achievements and contributions of women throughout the ages. However, Kunz realized they lacked the proper recognition they deserved and she set out to paint their pictures and to write down their stories. While some of the women are known, many of them have been forgotten but now have a place to be acknowledged in the stunning collection of 154 portraits in Kunz’s new book 𝙊𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙎𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨: 𝙋𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚. This book celebrates women that have been overlooked and marginalized in a world dominated by men. Kunz explains, “Women have always been here. Women make up half the world’s population…and these are women whose names we should all know.”
In the foreword, Roxane Gay notes: “This book, as a whole, offers the reader possibility and promise…You will be introduced to many of these women for the first time, because history is rarely kind to women until it is forced to be. You will learn about artists and activists, rulers and rebels.” For me, it is a way to make a meaningful connection with my original sisters and be emboldened by their tenacity and courage. I chose 5 women I hadn’t learned anything about and they are amazing:
✨Saint Æbbe—mutilated herself by cutting off her nose to avoid rape
✨Patricia Bath—invented a medical device to remove cataracts; 1st AA female ophthalmologist
✨Tomoe Gozen—is a legendary heroine/a fearsome Japanese samurai warrior known for her valor
✨Lady Mary Wortly Montagu—was a British aristocrat and returned to England with news of the first form of a smallpox vaccine
✨Anna May Wong—1st Chinese American Hollywood movie star
There are so many other great women in this art book. The illustrations are beautifully done, too. 𝙊𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙎𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 is a must for the women in your life. Remember, “Well-behaved women seldom make history,” now! I hope I make Kunz’s next art book project! I highly recommend this one.
In the foreword, Roxane Gay notes: “This book, as a whole, offers the reader possibility and promise…You will be introduced to many of these women for the first time, because history is rarely kind to women until it is forced to be. You will learn about artists and activists, rulers and rebels.” For me, it is a way to make a meaningful connection with my original sisters and be emboldened by their tenacity and courage. I chose 5 women I hadn’t learned anything about and they are amazing:
✨Saint Æbbe—mutilated herself by cutting off her nose to avoid rape
✨Patricia Bath—invented a medical device to remove cataracts; 1st AA female ophthalmologist
✨Tomoe Gozen—is a legendary heroine/a fearsome Japanese samurai warrior known for her valor
✨Lady Mary Wortly Montagu—was a British aristocrat and returned to England with news of the first form of a smallpox vaccine
✨Anna May Wong—1st Chinese American Hollywood movie star
There are so many other great women in this art book. The illustrations are beautifully done, too. 𝙊𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙎𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 is a must for the women in your life. Remember, “Well-behaved women seldom make history,” now! I hope I make Kunz’s next art book project! I highly recommend this one.
December 28, 2021
ORIGINAL SISTERS: PORTRAITS OF TENACITY AND COURAGE by Anita Kunz is a collection of 150 painted portraits of groundbreaking women throughout history, along with a short anecdote of their life, legacy, and achievements. Many of these women are unsung or forgotten. Many, I haven’t heard of before reading. The women in these pages are connected by their will to resist traditional expectations and their will to forward their purpose, at times to fight for it.
The art here is phenomenal. As someone who appreciates and occasionally attempts drawing portraits, I was really impressed how each portrait uniquely captures an essence of the featured person’s life.
When I first requested for this book, I was definitely curious: who gets to be represented here? Though most women here live(d) in the US or Europe, it’s nice to see Black women honored & recognized for their achievements, nice to see Zora Neale Hurston as the cover, nice to hear about stolen ideas & discoveries reclaimed by the people who actually discovered them, and glad to see trans women & their stories included in these pages. Yes, I would’ve liked to see more Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian representation but I’m hoping this is one of many volumes to come (if not by Anita Kunz, somebody please continue these).
Overall, stories of activism were the most memorable ones, those who have fought for freedom and human rights, and those who have fought against violence towards girls & women, risking their own lives in pursuit of their cause.
The art here is phenomenal. As someone who appreciates and occasionally attempts drawing portraits, I was really impressed how each portrait uniquely captures an essence of the featured person’s life.
When I first requested for this book, I was definitely curious: who gets to be represented here? Though most women here live(d) in the US or Europe, it’s nice to see Black women honored & recognized for their achievements, nice to see Zora Neale Hurston as the cover, nice to hear about stolen ideas & discoveries reclaimed by the people who actually discovered them, and glad to see trans women & their stories included in these pages. Yes, I would’ve liked to see more Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian representation but I’m hoping this is one of many volumes to come (if not by Anita Kunz, somebody please continue these).
Overall, stories of activism were the most memorable ones, those who have fought for freedom and human rights, and those who have fought against violence towards girls & women, risking their own lives in pursuit of their cause.
July 14, 2022
Original Sisters by internationally acclaimed artist Anita Kunz is a book that must be read in paper form to fully appreciate it.
Seeking inspiration during the 2020 quarantine, Ms. Kunz researched women from all time periods, backgrounds, and areas of focus, and was amazed by what she discovered. She painted large full-color portraits of 150 women and wrote brief biographical sketches about their achievements. Her art is collected is this beautiful volume that documents the amazing contributions women have made throughout history. Flip through my photos to see sample pages.
Many names were familiar while others were completely unknown to me. This is a perfect coffee table book to review a few pages as time permits. Original Sisters is great to help readers become aware of under-recognized women of world history and identify those they wish to research further. It could also be a powerful way to introduce young readers to these outstanding women.
Seeking inspiration during the 2020 quarantine, Ms. Kunz researched women from all time periods, backgrounds, and areas of focus, and was amazed by what she discovered. She painted large full-color portraits of 150 women and wrote brief biographical sketches about their achievements. Her art is collected is this beautiful volume that documents the amazing contributions women have made throughout history. Flip through my photos to see sample pages.
Many names were familiar while others were completely unknown to me. This is a perfect coffee table book to review a few pages as time permits. Original Sisters is great to help readers become aware of under-recognized women of world history and identify those they wish to research further. It could also be a powerful way to introduce young readers to these outstanding women.
October 28, 2021
It is very difficult to write about this book.
I didn’t know so many women in this book, I found the illustration amazing and enjoyed reading about this amazing woman.
This is going to be my holiday gift for my friends. I absolutely love this book.
I like to add Roxanne Gay's note here for those reading my reviews:
"This book, as a whole, offers the reader possibility and promise ... You will be introduced to many of these women for the first time, because history is rarely kind to women until it is forced to be. You will learn about artists and activists, rulers and rebels." --Roxanne Gay, from the Forward"
I didn’t know so many women in this book, I found the illustration amazing and enjoyed reading about this amazing woman.
This is going to be my holiday gift for my friends. I absolutely love this book.
I like to add Roxanne Gay's note here for those reading my reviews:
"This book, as a whole, offers the reader possibility and promise ... You will be introduced to many of these women for the first time, because history is rarely kind to women until it is forced to be. You will learn about artists and activists, rulers and rebels." --Roxanne Gay, from the Forward"
November 17, 2021
The artwork is stunning and the breadth of time covered is vast. A lovely little glimpse into the lives of each of the women profiled.
If there is going to be reprint please consider two changes:
First… Present the women in chronological order, instead of alphabetically. Any sense of the evolution of the role and rights of women gets lost in the moving back and forth in time.
Second... Please add a bibliography at the back. I would love to be able to dive into some of the author’s source materials.
If there is going to be reprint please consider two changes:
First… Present the women in chronological order, instead of alphabetically. Any sense of the evolution of the role and rights of women gets lost in the moving back and forth in time.
Second... Please add a bibliography at the back. I would love to be able to dive into some of the author’s source materials.
December 25, 2021
I won a copy on Goodreads but the opinions are my own. This book is inspiring and humbling. I was inspiring by these women, many well known, others just discovered, who all made a profound impact on the world. Humbled by the way the author used the pandemic to create this amazing book and by the way the author and artist paints the stories of amazing women with both words and her paintbrush. It’s a beautiful book.
August 21, 2022
Portraits and short biographies of remarkable women throughout history, starting with 'anonymous' cave painters from prehistoric times and including modern heroines Melala Yousafzai and Amanda Gorman.
This is a well curated, diverse and inclusive list, with queens, pirates, inventors, saints, poets, performers, and philosophersin the midst.
Reclaiming history and making history. An empowering read.
This is a well curated, diverse and inclusive list, with queens, pirates, inventors, saints, poets, performers, and philosophersin the midst.
Reclaiming history and making history. An empowering read.
October 27, 2021
Wow. Buying multiple copies of this gorgeous book for holiday gifts. The illustrations are exquisite - by artist Anita Kunz who began these illustrations during covid - as is the way the book is set up - not chronologically - Amanda Gorman is included and following her page is one for Olympe De Gouges, an 18th century French social reformer. This book should be left out on display for others to page through. It’s lovely and important and wonderfully unique. I want to read more. And I will. Heartfelt thanks to Pantheon for the advanced copy. Breathtaking!
November 24, 2021
What a beautifully crafted and truly inspiring book! There are so many amazing women in this book, some familiar, others new to me. I learned a lot and feel very empowered!!! This is the perfect coffee table book and would make a great gift for the amazing women in your life.
March 22, 2022
Well illustrated graphic biography of over 300 influential women in history. Many of them did not get credit for their accomplishments in their lifetime. Women from the 1st century to the 21st century are documented in this beautiful book.
January 8, 2024
I love being introduced to people I should know about and don't, but I do wish that there was some reference material provided. An index of nationalities and occupations would have made this useful in educational settings.
January 22, 2025
I feel like this is one of the more inclusive "women throughout history" books I've read, as there were multiple BIPOC, transgender and queer women featured. The pictures were beautiful and the short biographies intriguing. Definitely one for those interested in women's history!
November 17, 2021
Wonderful book! I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway and I'm so happy I did! It's a great coffee table book.
January 18, 2022
Outstanding book!! Feeling so blessed to have won it with Goodreads , thank you
Want to Read
January 24, 2022on Roxane Gay of Audacity Round 2021 list
she calls it "a beautiful book of portraits of important women throughout History" Roxane Gay wrote the foreword.
she calls it "a beautiful book of portraits of important women throughout History" Roxane Gay wrote the foreword.
May 8, 2022
A great project by Anita Kuntz. Wonderful portraits of important women in history. Beware if you read this book it will lead you down a few rabbit holes of discovery.
June 1, 2022
If you like this, do yourself a favor and read Brazen by Penelope Bagieu.
Both of these make great gifts for girls of all ages.
Both of these make great gifts for girls of all ages.
January 6, 2023
I really enjoyed this book - it was a short read with digestible bios of dozens of amazing women. I hadn't heard of quite a few of them, so it was a great learning experience as well.
June 24, 2025
Inspiring women painted by an inspiring woman!
August 24, 2025
Stunning. Beautiful and so insightful into the women who surrounds us.
September 7, 2023
Joyful collection of amazing women
What a joyful collection of biographical snippets of amazing women. True to the title, the feats recounted here are one-of-a-kind originals, “firsts'' in art and activism, ruling and rebellion, and more. Lost or written out of historical texts, these stories reclaim the parts and places our historical sisters played and worked in. Beautifully illustrated by the author, portraits accompany each biography, capturing an imagined essence of their characters. I lost myself quickly when reading through the stories. There were some familiar names, but by and large most of the women were new to me. Many women lived ages ago; some stories are current. Reading through this collection gave me a feeling of connection that transcended time, and grew my sense of the world. We have so much in common with our sisters, don’t we. So much connection. And so far to go.
What a joyful collection of biographical snippets of amazing women. True to the title, the feats recounted here are one-of-a-kind originals, “firsts'' in art and activism, ruling and rebellion, and more. Lost or written out of historical texts, these stories reclaim the parts and places our historical sisters played and worked in. Beautifully illustrated by the author, portraits accompany each biography, capturing an imagined essence of their characters. I lost myself quickly when reading through the stories. There were some familiar names, but by and large most of the women were new to me. Many women lived ages ago; some stories are current. Reading through this collection gave me a feeling of connection that transcended time, and grew my sense of the world. We have so much in common with our sisters, don’t we. So much connection. And so far to go.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews