The Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM) in Vienna is making history with its first-ever solo exhibition dedicated to a female painter, showcasing the remarkable works of 17th-century Flemish artist Michaelina Wautier. The exhibition, titled "She Invented and Made It," brings together nearly all known works by the artist who lived from around 1614 to 1689, revealing fascinating paintings and a story filled with historical gaps.

Wautier's unique approach to traditional religious subjects demonstrates her innovative artistic vision. In one of her notable works, she depicts the martyrs Agnes and Dorothea sitting together at a table, surrounded by their traditional attributes but with sorrowful expressions, as if they knew their tragic fate awaited them. According to legend, Dorothea had converted a man who mockingly asked her to bring him flowers and fruits from her bridegroom Jesus's garden, whereupon an angel appeared with a basket. Agnes endured horrific tortures and was beheaded after fire could not harm her.

Katlijne Van der Stighelen, the Belgian art historian credited with rediscovering Wautier, enthusiastically describes the artist as being "simply much closer to life than others." This proximity to real life, combined with exceptional artistic skill, sets Wautier apart from her contemporaries and makes her work particularly compelling for modern audiences.

Vienna proves to be the logical location for this comprehensive presentation, as Wautier's masterpiece "The Triumph of Bacchus" has been documented in the collection of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm since 1659. Leopold Wilhelm served as governor of the Spanish Netherlands in Brussels from 1647 to 1656 and laid the foundation for the KHM's extensive collection of Flemish masters including Rubens, van Dyck, and Jordaens.

Despite being overshadowed by these famous names, Wautier's diminished reputation has nothing to do with the quality of her paintings. Her works radiate not only with vitality and technical finesse but also with remarkable creativity and inventiveness. The fact that her reputation, which must have been respectable during her lifetime, has faded so dramatically beside these renowned artists speaks more to historical circumstances than artistic merit.

Wautier was clearly aware that her works did not simply follow the typical conventions of representation of her time. She demonstrated this confidence by signing two of her paintings with the inscription "Michaelina Wautier invenit et fecit," declaring that she had not only painted or made (fecit) the respective works but had also invented them (invenit). This bold statement reveals an artist with considerable pride and status consciousness.

Her self-portrait at the easel from 1650 shows a woman who undoubtedly possessed significant confidence and awareness of her own artistic standing. The direct gaze from this self-portrait suggests an artist who was fully conscious of her abilities and position in the art world of her time.

Anyone wanting to get closer to understanding Michaelina Wautier quickly enters the realm of speculation, as the source material regarding her biography remains sparse. The circumstance that her name has several spellings (Vauthier, Wouters, among others) and that the artist was sometimes confused with her sister Magdalena has not helped art historians in their research efforts.

Furthermore, Michaelina maintained a kind of studio partnership with her brother Charles, who was a sought-after portrait painter. It's possible that he acted as her teacher and took her on a trip to Italy, though the details remain unclear. This family connection adds another layer of complexity to understanding her artistic development and career trajectory.

Given the many gaps in historical documentation, the museum deserves high praise for elevating Wautier to such a prominent platform. Curator Gerlinde Gruber has not staged a master narrative but rather created a detective story that is well-communicated even for children, addressing what must remain in the shadows while celebrating what can be illuminated.

Sometimes objects meaningfully complement the paintings, such as when Chinese garments flank the portrait of Jesuit Martino Martini (1654), who published the first printed atlas of China. These contextual additions help visitors understand the broader world in which Wautier worked and the diverse subjects she chose to paint.

Only rarely does one get the feeling that the exhibition stretches its material thin, though some pacing issues are partially due to the sequence of exhibition rooms. The thoughtful curation generally maintains engagement throughout the visitor's journey through Wautier's artistic world.

The main hall removes any doubt about Wautier's quality as an artist. Alongside "The Triumph of Bacchus," works that have only recently surfaced are displayed here, encouraged by a significant increase in the value of Wautier paintings in the art market. In five paintings, young men embody the five senses – the sense of touch has cut his finger while carving, while the sense of smell presents a cracked, apparently rotten egg and holds his nose.

The fact that the painter was so close to life with her ideas while simultaneously ascending to elite spheres constitutes her genius. This remarkable combination of accessibility and sophistication, of everyday reality and elevated artistic vision, makes Wautier's work highly worth seeing and establishes her as a significant figure in 17th-century Flemish art who deserves recognition alongside her more famous contemporaries.